Connections
by whovianmaniac
Summary: This is my second Doctor Who fan fiction (my other one isn't finished, either, though). It's essentially from my point of view and includes the Tenth Doctor and myself (or any Whovian! :P) going on adventures together. Slight AU, parallel universe type thing. You'll see. :)
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys,**

**So this is my second Doctor Who fan fiction. It's basically a diary that never happened, but I'm a slightly older character, like everything that happened in my life happened a few years later. (That probably doesn't really matter to you, I'm just explaining that to my friends who may read this eventually, haha.) Anyway, it's slightly more realistic in terms of our universe, so this could happen to any Whovian. Just toying with the idea, though I will continue. Hope you like it! Please give me tips, as I'm struggling a bit with conversations. I can't seem to get the Tenth Doctor's personality quite right when he talks.**

**(also, forgive my horrible chapter ending here. LOL)**

**ENJOY! :D**

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DOCTOR WHO?

I stare up at the ceiling of my bedroom idly. The blue canopy is only three feet above my face, but I can't see it because of the darkness created by both the black curtains and the night. My top bunk creaks as I roll over onto my side. My sister mumbles incoherently in her sleep. Even my parents are in bed, despite the fact that eleven isn't all that late for them. For me, it's early. I can never sleep at night. My mind keeps me awake.

Two months. It's been two months since Pinterest, Netflix, and tumblr introduced me to the show called Doctor Who. I never thought that a mere (well, I used to think "mere"!) TV show could change my life, but it has. I see the world in a different way. Anything is possible. And yet nothing ever happens to me. Ever.

Sometimes I think I hear the TARDIS in the distance, but it's always false hope, created by my yearning imagination. The worst part is, I always _know _that it's false hope. I want to believe that the Doctor exists so much that I do. Sometimes, it's too hard to bear, knowing that he probably couldn't exist (I mean, there's a TV SHOW about him!), but another part of me is incredibly hopeful and sad believing that he does exist but probably will never come for me.

It's a tough situation. It really is. But I've developed a few theories:

He exists, but he created TORCHWOOD so that he could cover up, pretending that it's all fake, and made Doctor Who into a TV show, selecting actors that looked similar to himself and companions, and giving ideas and storylines to the unknowing creators. Sort of like the way that Martha told stories to the world in the Year That Never Was. So many of the events were real, though not ever single detail was exact.

We live in Pete's World (aka Rose's parallel universe) and Rose Tyler wanted to tell the world of the Doctor's story (again, like Martha did) and possibly got information of what happened later on through rifts in time or something. Not really sure how that would have happened though, so this theory is less likely.

I have a few more, but they aren't as logical or realistic or complete. It's too much to think about now, anyways. By this rate, I'll be up until four in the morning, and tomorrow's Sunday, which means that it's my last day to sleep in. And I have problems with sleeping in. Well, I wouldn't mind sleeping in, but sleeping in just doesn't agree with me, so my mental alarm wakes me up at around seven every day. So I should probably stop thinking of theories about the Doctor being real. It'll just make me even sadder, anyway.

I prepare to sleep, closing my eyes and hugging my stuffed tiger close to my chest, my teddy blanket (Pooh Bear) wrapped around my shoulders. I still sleep with them, although most people would consider me to old to keep them. I don't care; they comfort me.

I'm drifting off when I suddenly hear a very strange noise. It sounds like the TARDIS, but lower in pitch, almost angry. I must be dreaming. Even so, I get hopeful, so I clamber out of bed, change into jeans and a loose tee, tug on a pair of red Converse, and walk out of the front door, careful to lock it behind me. I stuff the keys and my phone into my back pocket and look around.

We have a set of wide, low steps going down to the street and a carport on the left. It's a very quiet street in the hills, and the moon shines brightly in the sky above our little apple tree. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. I start to turn around, but then something catches my eye. A black silhouette crosses my vision at the end of our road, and I almost don't believe what I see. I follow in the general direction and round the corner.

Just outside of our hedge, I see the figure walking down the road, lit by ghostly white streetlamps. My jaw drops open noiselessly. A pale brown coat swishes on a tall, skinny frame. A pair of creamy Converse high-tops stick out from a few inches of darker brown pinstriped-suited legs. A mop of incredibly fluffy, gravity defying, chocolate brown hair flares out above the coat, and I make a small, whimpering noise with my mouth.

"Oh. Oh my god. Oh my GOD."

_I made a wish. I made a wish. All those nights ago, I made a wish. Is it possible?_

I don't even question it. I don't think about doubting myself. Whatever happens, I'm going wherever that man goes. I'm afraid, but it's a good fear. A strong fear, it's an _excited _fear. And I take a word of advice: _Run._

I see that beautiful blue box at the very end of the other street, hiding beneath a gnarled tree. I run faster.

_Something old._

The man grabs a hold of the worn handle. My legs pump harder.

_Something new._

He doesn't look directly at me, but he pauses.

_Something borrowed._

He smiles fondly up at the glowing letters at the top.

_Something blue._

He doesn't wait any longer, and opens the dusty blue door, slipping inside. Just before they close, I scream out a single word.

"DOCTOR!"

The door stops half an inch from closing. And that's when I know.

_This isn't a dream. This is real. THIS is REAL. I am NEVER leaving. EVER._

He opens up the door completely, warm light glowing from the inside.

"What?" His face scrunches up and his voice has the same tone as he always does. I almost want to giggle upon hearing it in person. I wonder how this can be possible. None of my theories said that David Tennant looked and acted exactly like the real Doctor.

Then I realize something. What am I supposed to say?

"Hi. Um. I'm really sorry. I heard the TARDIS and it sounded a bit angry and I wanted to see if I could help." No. Wait. I shouldn't have said that. Now he thinks I'm some sort of stalker.

"How do you know what the TARDIS is?" The Doctor asks, sounding utterly bewildered.

"Well… I… um…"

"Hang on. Let's see. Where am I?"

"We're in Los Angeles. Hollywood Hills. It's 2013 on a Saturday night, at exactly 11:03 PM, to be exact. Not sure what universe, though. Do they have names?"

He's giving me a somewhat shocked look, but goes on. "Okay. So. How do you know who I am?"

Should I tell him? Is it safe?

"Doctor Who."

"What? I thought you-"

"No. It's a television show on BBC. It's been going on for a very long time. I've been watching since the reboot, which was in 2005."

"What's it about, then?"

"You."

"Me? How is that possible? This is a parallel universe! There's only one of me!"

"Don't ask me!"

"Okay. Let's start again. What _about _me, exactly?"

I tell him about Rose, and the Daleks, and everything that's happened so far, but only up to the middle of season 4. Then I ask him a question.

"How old are you?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Just tell me. I know a lot about you, I don't think it'll surprise me."

"Alright. I'm 1107."

"Right. Good." I sigh with relief. So the end of season four and everything past it never happened. He didn't regenerate.

"I have to ask, though. What happened with the Master?"

He looks at me with dark eyes. "He sent Rassilon back to where he belonged, and I picked up all the pieces that he left behind."

"And Wilf?"

"We managed to fix the system and get him out of there. Wait. But how do you know about Wilf?"

"The television show had a…. a different ending."

The Doctor is silent, seeing the tears brimming in my eyes. "Do I want to know what happened?"

"No. I can't…. I can't tell you. It never happened, but I don't think it would be good for either of us if you did."

"No. It wouldn't." We're both silent for a moment, and then he starts to talk again. "So. We should probably figure out this mystery, eh? How I came to be in this parallel universe – and it must be, because I've never heard of a show about me before, and with such an uncanny similarity between looks and events as you say – actually, it's pretty exact. It's quite strange, if you ask me. To start off, what's your universe like? What's been happening?"

"The same things as in your universe, judging by the television show. There's iPhones and laptops and no blimps flying over London. Pretty basic stuff."

"Actually, can I see your mobile for a moment?" His eyes sparkle as an idea pops into his head.

"Sure."

I hand the Doctor my iPhone, glad to be of help. He takes out his sonic screwdriver, which is still its same old blue self, no added green or red lights like in season five. I grin as he sonics my phone and images flash over the screen with incredible speed.

"Right. This universe is exactly the same as mine. Very odd. I wonder…"

He frowns for a moment, one eyebrow cocked. Then he jumps. "Oh! Oh, of _course! _That's what's different!" He runs back into the TARDIS excitedly, taking my hand. It's exactly like I thought it would be: bigger on the inside and absolutely fantastic. The Doctor rushes to one of the TARDIS screens and taps something into a keyboard. I see an image of Cardiff appear in a strange lighting.

"This shows all of the energy readings, dark blue being low, bright yellow being high. Look at this." The Doctor runs his screwdriver along a line of buttons on the monitor and the colors change. A blindingly yellow area spans along the image in a horizontal line on the concrete. The rest of the image is dark. I realize where it is.

"That's the Rift, isn't it?"

"Yes. I'll have to go to Cardiff to check this out, and charge up the TARDIS while we're at it as well. That's in your show, too, isn't it?"

"Everything, as far as I know."

"Okay. That's a bit disconcerting." He grins at me.

"Should I stop? Am I acting stalkerish?" I'm actually worried for a moment, but then he laughs.

"No, no it's fine. You can come with me, if you'd like, since you know so much already."

"Really? You're really asking me this?"

"Why not? I can't have you running around and telling the world I'm real now, can I?"

"So it's just a safety precaution?" I deflate angrily.

"No! Not at all! I didn't mean… Oh, just come with me! It's what you want, isn't it? We can get to know each other along the way! Allons-y!"

There aren't any second thoughts whatsoever. I smile at him and close the TARDIS doors, finalizing my decision. Then I walk over to the console, running my hands along the controls like I've been doing it all my life. I guess I have, in my imagination. I can't wait for my own adventure to finally begin!

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**End note:**

**Okay. Again. Bad chapter ending, sorry. Reviews are welcome! :) Thank you all! Next chapter will be up ASAP!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Not too many reviews on this one. Oh well. I'm adding this part anyways! :)**

**So I've written a lot more since my last posting. It's going pretty well, I have some twists in mind. I'm horrible at writing angsty things, just so you know, but I do want to try it out at some point. I don't think this one would be considered angsty though.**

**Anyways, here it is! Review, please?**

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I almost can't believe it when I hear the TARDIS whirring to life. The Doctor cranks on wheels and jabs at buttons, running around haphazardly as his beloved machine rocks dangerously back and forth. I grab ahold of the old, yellowing chair behind me, laughing. Then he looks at me with a trusting grin, rolls the clear amber globe, and pushes down the last switch, and we tumble through the air as the TARDIS takes us through the Time Vortex. I giggle as I land on top of the Doctor after flying through open space for a few seconds, and push myself off of his chest and roll over onto my back. We both laugh together and get back up on our feet. When the Doctor pushes a door open, we're on top of the Rift in Cardiff on a sunny day. Nobody seems to notice the odd tingling sensation in the air surrounding us, or the weird, pale gold glow, either. I look up at the Doctor and ask him why.

"You mean you can see that?" He asks incredulously.

"Aren't I supposed to?"

"No. Only those exposed to the Time Vortex, like Time Lords, can usually see it, although I suppose there could be exceptions… You're definitely something special. Maybe it has to do with my being in this parallel world. What did you say your name was?"

"Oh! It's Tris. Beatrice Nightingale."

"Pretty name, Nightingale. Are you by any chance related to a Kathy Nightingale?"

I laugh. "No. I don't think so. I wish I was, though!"

"Kathy was in your show as well?"

"Yeah, she was. I would've liked her and Sally. Did you ever meet them again?"

"No. Well, sort of. Well, yes, but they won't remember it. I saw them as kids, briefly. I gave them candy for Christmas, as a present from ol' Saint Nick. As a return favor." The Doctor looks off into the distance wistfully, his lips forming a vague smile.

"That's sweet. So. What are we going to do about the extra rift energy? Will it solve the whole parallel universe mystery?"

"Hopefully. I'll run a scan." The Doctor turns around and goes back into the TARDIS, returning with a strange-looking gadget. It has a thin, small metal wheel with only three spokes sticking out of the top and the rest is just a silver handle covered in wires. When the Doctor pushes a button on the side, a tiny little screen slides out of the side, projecting a hologram in the air. Like the ones on my phone, the images flash by too fast for me to see. However, I find myself seeing a lot more than I had before, as if they're going slower. I know that they aren't.

I see vague glimpses of seemingly random pictures. Movie posters, futuristic cars, old photos of famous icons in history like FDR, and even a few of people I knew personally. Then I see swirls of time energy emerging from the phone, all different shades, varying from red to gold to blue to green, and a few shards of purple. And, just like that, they're all gone, and the scanner's monitor slides back in, and the wheel stops turning.

I have no idea what the images meant, but the Doctor looks gleeful as he rushes back into the TARDIS, tossing the device into a cardboard box beneath the console. He must have figured it out, and I'm excited to hear what he has to say.

"So, what'd you find?"

"The Rift suddenly flared say, oh, about three hours ago, and two of the parallel universes flared with it. The combustion of several continual time tendrils caused other threads to interact and tie together, and we were dragged toward each other and combined. The vortex manipulation got jumbled up in the process and so time was reordered slightly and the merging of the universes happened at separate points and then slowly united completely, like three different water leaks."

I feel a little bit confused, but then he looks embarrassed as he realizes how fast he was talking. I love it when he does that. The Doctor tries to explain it better, although I think I know what he meant.

"Basically, two universes collided because of an energy flare and they merged at different points in time, so I, and my story, was interpreted as a television show and some things changed slightly, but we're basically the same universe, only with a few added things, like Doctor Who and the show called Torchwood, and I believe Sherlock. I think that they all sort of bled in from my universe into yours first, because it happened slowly, and then when we collided fully, they stayed. Understand?"

"Yeah, I think so. No dangerous, world-threatening catches, then?"

"Not to my knowledge!"

"Should I be disappointed?"

The Doctor laughs. "I like you, Tris! Still, we should probably check up on things. The Rift is still active; and that means that this combined universe – two-niverse? – Still has room to change, and I don't think that's a good thing, since the place it's in now is probably the safest one."

"Any way we can stop the energy?"

"Maybe. Lucky thing is, I know the perfect guy!"

The Doctor grins and takes me outside again, this time closing the doors behind him. The faint gold light still swirls in the air, and I wonder why my senses have changed. I push that thought aside, though, because we're suddenly running, hand in hand, and I want to laugh. Oh, this really is a dream come true! Running with the Doctor!

We start to run across the pavement blocks, and suddenly I almost run into a tall gray-blue-cloaked figure. A familiar voice laughs from above the coat.

"Whoah there, miss! What's the hurry?"

When I look up, I almost clap my hands with joy. It's Captain Jack Harkness, flirty smile and all. He grins down at me and slaps a hand down on my shoulder.

"Captain Jack Harkness, and you are?"

I begin to answer him, but the Doctor realizes that I've stopped moving and runs back. Once he sees who it is, he barks angrily, "Oi! Watch it! She's not even seventeen yet! No flirting!"

"Hello to you, too, Doctor! As I was trying to ask her before you rudely interrupted, what's your name?"

"Tris Nightingale, and, Doctor, I turned seventeen last July thank you very much!"

He turns to me indignantly. "Still, that's no excuse for Jack here to start flirting with a teenage girl!"

"I wasn't planning on anything, and you know it. I'm just playing. Anyway, what brings you here?"

"Ah, actually, we were just looking for you. We need to pick up some gadgets from Torchwood if possible. Two parallel worlds have combined because of a flare in the Rift, turning us into shows called Doctor Who and Torchwood, and that's all good, no harm come from it, but we need to stop the Rift from fluctuating any more, because we don't want things changing for the worse. Think you could lend us some parts?" Jack starts to grin sneakily, but the Doctor sighs and stops him from speaking by saying, "_Machine _parts, Captain! I'd hoped that I'd made that clear, but I guess I've overestimated your maturity."

"Hey!"

"Don't take it personally, there's no shame in being childish sometimes. Now is not the time, however. I genuinely need your help right now, and I'm not saying it again."

"The Doctor needs _my _help? I'd be honored!" Jack gives and exaggerated bow, and I roll my eyes.

"Oh, please, you two! Can we just get on with this? We don't have all day this time!"

They both turn to me in surprise as if they'd forgotten I was there already. In a few moments, we are walking down the street.

"So, Jack, how soon can you get us the parts? We'll need them by the end of today by the latest, if possible."

"You guys can wait at the café over here," we enter a bright little shop about a hundred yards from the TARDIS, "and I'll go grab as many as I can from Torchwood in the meantime. If you don't mind, though, I'd like to stay with you for lunch. I'll pay, if you like."

The Doctor frowns at the mention of Jack paying, but I give him a look and answer for him. "Sure, by all means. We'll split the fee in half; How's that?"

Jack grins. "Good, good. So, before I forget, what parts 'll you be needing?"

The Doctor hastily writes a list on a sheet of paper he procures from a pocket, and I catch a glimpse of messy and yet fluid and delicate handwriting. Then we all sit down at a table and eat lunch together, which is nice. I'm surprised at how quickly they both accept me, but I don't question it.

Jack starts up the conversation. "So, Tris. Are you the Doctor's new companion now? How'd you hear about him?"

"I guess so. I'm not sure if you'll have figured this out yet, but the television show Doctor Who integrated itself into my universe about fifty years ago, but for you guys, it's only appeared in the last day or so, what with the time differences. That's because the universes linked up a long time ago but only collided recently, so your universe bled into ours and our only got into yours at the very end."

The Doctor glances up at me from his sandwich. "You understood that pretty well, Tris. I'm impressed!"

Jack throws his head back and laughs. "Finally found one clever as you, eh, Doctor? I'd say she's a keeper, this Tris!"

I smile. "Thanks, Jack."

"Ah, but it's true. He's never had someone who isn't surprised by everything around him. He'll have to work harder to amaze you."

"Oh, I'm amazed, all right. I'm just not surprised. Is that so bad?"

"No," says the Doctor, his mouth tilting up at the corners. "No, it's the very best. It means that you can keep up with me and yet you still see the universe as something new and exciting. And that's good. That's very good. Jack's right, Tris. I may not know you very well, but from what I've seen, you're definitely a keeper."

I'm so touched I feel tears brimming in my eyes. "You have no idea how much that means to me. Ever since I started watching Doctor Who, I've wanted to be the Doctor's companion. Even before that, I knew there was something missing in my life. Nothing ever happened to me. And now I've figured it all out. Nothing's missing anymore. Thank you."

"Oh, the pleasure's all mine, Tris."

Captain Jack chuckles. "Tell me when you guys are done with your little love-fest over here. I'll be outside." He teasingly begins to push his chair away from the table while I make an indignant noise.

"What? _Love-fest? LOVE FEST? _You are so bad with serious conversations sometimes! And… _love-fest? _Seriously?"

"It was getting a bit personal, wasn't it?" He _really _isn't going to give this up, is he…

The Doctor rolls his eyes. "Not like that, Captain Jack Harkness. You _really _think that after I _reprimanded _you for flirting with her – yes Jack, I understood that you meant no harm – that I would be doing the same? I'm not that kind of man, and you know it!"

"That doesn't stop you from being a bit flirt anyways! You're like a chick magnet, Doctor, and don't you deny it!"

"Oi, watch it! I, on the other hand, don't try to go any further than a playful word or two!"

"Okay, okay," Jack says with a laugh, throwing his hands in the air with defeat. "I give in; but you can't say that you _never _flirt!"

The Doctor sighs. "No, but not with girls under nineteen who aren't fully understanding."

"Hey!" I yell. "I'm still here! And I think you both know I'm more understanding than most people!"

The Doctor and Jack both widen their eyes, and I swiftly cover my mouth with my hand, realizing the implications of what I've just said.

"I mean… I… You know what I-"

The Doctor clears his throat awkwardly and tries to interrupt, "Well, not to say that I wouldn't… I… um…"

"All I meant by that was that I've seen what's happened in most of your life, Doctor, and know you pretty well, and I'm also much more mature than most people of my age in some situations. I'm a pretty understanding person in general. Okay? I never meant… well…"

Jack abruptly makes a ridiculous giggle, reminding me of John Barrowman's laugh in a gag reel. "You two are clearly the perfect fit, be it romantic or not! Socially awkward with some people, a little bit crazy, and not afraid of danger unless it involves misunderstandings in public interaction. And geeks, don't forget the geek part of that. Trust me, I see it in you both!"

Somehow, that breaks the ice, and the Doctor and I both smile apologetically at each other. I have no idea where this is going, but it'll sort itself out over time, I hope. We finish our lunch and then Jack leaves to find us the machine parts.

"So," The Doctor says as we walk along the street, back to the TARDIS to wait for Jack. "I think we have another mystery to solve, Tris. Who are you?"

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**Sorry. Terrible chapter ending. Should this have been longer?**

**Reviews? Pretty please?**

**Okay, one last note - if you have any fanfiction requests, I would be delighted! :) Anything is good!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry for the long wait. Finals and stuff... :( Anyway, I've written a LOT more of this story! Reviews are welcome! Hope you're still interested. :) **

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"Me?" I ask in surprise. "I'm perfectly normal. I get A's and B's in school, I've got some great friends, I have two parents and a sister… I mean, nothing strange or remotely interesting has _ever _happened to me. I wish that our universes fully combined earlier on so that I could have known about Doctor Who – well, your adventures – being real earlier on. I was beginning to lose hope."

The Doctor smiles and says, "Well, at least you know now, eh? But I don't think that's all you are. I've never met a human who understood so much and saw the time energy like you did. Of course, my… other…. Companions," his eyes grow infinitely sad, and I know he is thinking of Rose, "understood many things, but never so quickly. And I don't think it's just the program that did that. I've got some theories, but I have to test them first. Something about you is different. Let's start with your past."

We reach the TARDIS and the Doctor leads me inside and sits me down on the yellowing jump seat, leaning against the console in front of me.

"Tell me about yourself. What are your hobbies? What's school like? And your parents, your friends, your weekends, your summers? What are your interests? Tell me as much as you're comfortable with telling."

I tell him about my love for art and music and books, and, of course, Doctor Who. By the end of this, I think that the Doctor knows as much about me as I do about him. I trust him so much, and I only just met him in person. It's a strange thing, it really is, but I just rambled on and on about every feeling inside of me. I never was able to do that with anyone else, and it feels so good just to let it all out, so that when I'm finished, there are tears in my eyes.

"… and when I hear the TARDIS, I didn't even think twice. The slightest possibility was enough for me. I knew that you would accept me, or at least understand more than anyone else, because even though you don't know it, you're the best man in the universe, because you save people without realizing, without any second thoughts or a backwards glance. Doctor Who wasn't just a television program – it showed me how to look at everything and not only see, but observe, look at every angle, and learn to understand everything I could possibly understand. Do you get it?" And that's when the tears start pouring out, the feelings all tumbling from my eyes, and I feel so happy and yet so sad, with the knowledge of all of the possibilities out there, that everything I ever imagined could be real. The danger doesn't matter anymore. I'm staying.

The Doctor sits beside me and lets me lean my head against his shoulder, rubbing my back as I cry. "I won't leave you, Tris. I understand. I understand," he whispers gently. For a while, I just stay like that, my arms wrapped around his neck, his hands on my shoulders.

Then I get up, and laugh softly. "You know, Doctor? You're everything I imagined, and more. Thank you."

"You're very welcome, Tris."

"Do you still need to figure out my mystery? I won't mind."

"If you'd like me to."

"Whatever it takes."

The Doctor smiles kindly and takes my hand as he leads me through a hallway and into a small silver room, with a wooden chair and several scanners and computers inside.

"Sit, please. It's okay, it won't hurt."

"So you're just going to scan me, that's it?"

"Yeah, if that's alright."

"Okay."

I lower myself into the seat and he turns one of the appliances on. A beam of blue light runs down my body, giving me a strange sensation. The Doctor looks intently at the results on one of the screens that I can't see. Then his face changes, his eyebrows raised and mouth open in disbelief.

"No! It can't be!"

"What?"

"Oh! Oh, it all makes sense! That's why you were different! Oh, brilliant!"

"What? Please tell me!"

"Tris, don't be alarmed." The Doctor stands in front of me, his eyes dancing with an emotion I can't quite make out.

"Go on."

"I integrated through into this universe in more than one way, Tris. Some of the Time Energy leaked out in a specific moment at a specific place, where I was about to land the TARDIS, a day before. You were standing there. Tris, you have the tiniest bit of Time Lord inside of you."

Okay. I don't even know what to think.

"Basically, you have Time Energy inside of your bloodstream like I do, and some of their intelligence. It's nothing like Donna, but it's more like you're a sixteenth part Time Lord. The perfect combination! I mean… well, you're safe, is all I meant. Understand?"

"So… I'm part… I'm part _you?_"

"Basically, yeah. Well, not _me, _exactly, but the Time Energy that's surrounding me. When the universes collided fully, I became part of the second one not only with the show, but also through you. You're the one who allowed me to exist with the show as well. My time energy locked onto yours because of your physical location a day before, which is when the second to last integration happened, when you actually got the energy, and then when I landed the TARDIS, it landed there and continued to exist because it had a bridge to cross, and that bridge, Tris, was _you. _If you hadn't stood in that exact spot with that exact thought of Doctor Who about a day ago, then I would never have been able to exist. In fact, I would have been erased from existence _entirely. _Do you see?" I can tell that the Doctor is trying as best he can to explain it to me gently, but I only smile.

"Yes. I should be scared, and hurt, shouldn't I?"

"Well…"

"I'm not, though. I'm glad. I'm oh, so glad, because this means that I returned the favor, Doctor. And it means that I can stay, doesn't it?"

"Of course!" The Doctor embraces me as I stand up, more tears running down my cheeks.

"It's just a lot to take in. That all of this is real, I mean. I think I'll be fine, though. I mean, there was always hope, wasn't there?"

The Doctor looks into my eyes, giving me a bittersweet grin.

"Always." He takes my hand and walks me out of the scan room. "There is _always _hope."

My feet feel as though they are barely brushing the grated floor of the hallway as we stride quickly back to the control room. I'm so happy I could almost fly up into the air and just sail away. The Doctor senses my giddy energy and laughs, running with me through the TARDIS doors.

He asks me one last question. "Are you sure you're alright? That was a long talk, and I don't want you to feel like you've told me too much. I can always erase the memories."

"No," I respond amusedly. "I don't regret it. I told you. This Time Energy seems to have upped my already existing confidence, too. And I don't want to know more about you than you know about me. It's wrong. Hey, look who's here!"

Captain Jack Harkness is walking towards us across the pavement, holding a massive heavy-duty sack. It's nearly as big as he is, and I can't see how it's possible to hoist that over his back like he's doing without falling over backwards.

"Need a bit of help, Captain?"

"I'm fine, Tris, really." I sigh and put my hands on my hips.

"No, you're not. No man is so strong that that load feels 'fine.'"

Jack grins. "Okay, okay. Here, you take one end. I won't let you carry all of it."

"Jack, I've never seen Torchwood before, but from what I know, it's at least half a mile from here, and if you walked, your back has GOT to be killing you! Stop trying to be a gentleman; I'm not falling for it!"

He lets out a raucous laugh and sets his lumpy bag on the ground. "Doctor, better watch out for this one. She's feisty!"

"No, she just likes to help out.'

"Defensive now, are we?"

I break into their argument before it escalates. "Boys! I can take care of myself! I told you already, Doctor, I'm perfectly alright!"

They both look fully abashed and the Doctor looks at his feet somewhat awkwardly. But Jack realizes what I've said and narrows his eyes, more serious than the Doctor for once.

"Wait. Tris. Already? What are you talking about? What happened?"

I'm not exactly sure how to break it to him. I mean, what am I supposed to say, "oh hey guess what, while you were gone, I found out that I'm part Time Lord, which is why I can understand so much and see time energy"? Speaking of, I notice that the golden swirls of light are beginning to grow brighter. Aren't they supposed to stay the same until we make them go back to normal?

"Um, Jack? I think we can explain, but now is not the time. Right now, we need to move as quickly as we can. I don't think the Rift is going to stay stabilized for much longer…"

"How do you know?"

Not quite ready to tell him the truth, I lie, "Just assumed, really. Am I right, Doctor?"

I warn him with my eyes not to give me away and although he frowns in confusion, he just clears his throat and nods in agreement. "Yeah. The energy is starting to fluctuate again."

Jack accepts his word, but still looks at me skeptically.

"Oh, so his word is gold, huh? Just because I'm human, my word isn't worth anything?"

"Tris, you know I didn't mean that!"

"I know. I'm sorry. It's just that this seems to happen a lot, in the few hours that we've known each other. I'm just sort of put aside."

"No!" Both the Doctor and Jack shout at the same moment.

The Doctor speaks first. "I'm really sorry, Tris. I should have seen it in the first place, that you're just as good as we are."

"Yeah, me too," Jack adds on apologetically. It seems genuine when he continues, "I was just playing. You know that, right?"

"Yeah. We really should get a move on, though. Seriously, we don't have much time, and if we run out, there's no telling how this new universe will change, though it'll probably be for the worse. We have to stop it before the timelines entangle beyond repair."

The Doctor gazes at me proudly. "Nicely said, Tris. Come on, into the TARDIS, we have work to do!"

We drag Jack's enormous pack into the control room and dump it out onto the metal floor. The Doctor shows us how to reroute wires and connect different pieces and a whole bunch of fancy things and puts us to work. I begin to get the big picture once he finishes showing me how to create a clear energy loop from metal scraps and special, bendable, and virtually unbreakable glass scavenged from a wrecked alien ship. It makes me smile to see how happy the Doctor is as he rambles on about the planet that the ship came from.

"…Brilliant, they are! Absolutely fantastic builders, the Velae best in the Arrin Galaxy, and they lasted for probably for a good thousand years before they were bested by the Lirians. It's a real shame though, because the whole planet was destroyed by war when the two species competed over living space. Too overpopulated. I tried to persuade them to use their shipbuilding skills to colonize other planets, but they were too proud, the both of them. Ah, well, at least they managed to get a couple thousand people out. See, this crashed ship was a Velaen ship, and they're the ones who invented this special glass. You've got to get it in the perfect temperature, and then you can do practically anything with it. Look!" He takes a piece into his hands and twists it into the rounded shape we need.

"Doctor?"

"Hm?"

"Is this going to be a lock or something?"

"Yes! Very clever, Tris, how'd you manage that?"

"Well, it's going to be very heavy, like a padlock, and this energy loop we're making will keep the excess time energy from getting too powerful. If we can latch it on at the right place in the right time, probably somewhere safe on the ground with a perception filter, it should stay there basically forever, what with these unbreakable materials. And they're age-proof, too, yeah?"

The Doctor looks speechless. "Well… I… yes, that's… brilliant! You're absolutely brilliant, Tris! Nice work figuring that out!"

"I got it from you!"

"Nah, not really. You only got the time energy, and that made your intelligence come out from inside of you – you had it all along!"

I grin, but then I freeze. Jack is staring at me, nearly dropping his metal clamp that will become the actual lock. His icy blue eyes look infinitely shocked and the slightest bit hurt.

_"What? _Tris, what time energy? We've got enough time that you can tell me what the heck is going on! You know more about me than I do about you, so I think I deserve at least to know this _one thing _about yourself!"

Sighing, I tell him. Jack lets out a breath of air through puffed cheeks. He doesn't say anything except for, "Thank you for telling me, Tris. I'm glad." Then he returns to his work in silence, as do I. The Doctor simply toys with his sonic screwdriver with dark eyes. I finish the energy loop ten minutes later, and he's still fiddling with it.

"Aren't you going to work, Doctor?"

"I am working!"

"On _what, _though? You don't seem to be pointing that at anything!"

"I'm measuring the rift energy. I'd say we've got… say, eight minutes before the rift changes again. We have to put these parts together, and we have to do it NOW!"

I call out to Jack, who is now on the other side of the control room, leaning against one of the curved beams of creamy coral, finishing up the heavy clamp. "Hey, Jack! You done yet? We've only got eight minutes!"

He jumps, and runs over to us. "Yeah. How's this, Doc?"

"Fine. Brilliant! Okay, let me finish this up." Both Jack and I watch in amazement as he attaches wires and welds metal, connecting clips and plugs, all with inhuman speed, and done in under a minute. When he finishes, it looks a lot like the Magnaclamp that kept him from being sucked into the void at Canary Warf, except this one is silver and contains the energy loop, as well as a lot more hidden buttons. I assume that the buttons are for hiding it from view with perception filters and keeping it safe.

"We'd better hurry. Where are we going to put this?"

"Here. Look." The Doctor steps outside and point his screwdriver at a block of pavement about three or four square feet. It grinds upward and slides out of the way. Underneath is a perfect chamber, almost like a grave, made of packed dirt and only three feet deep.

"This," The Doctor explains as he lowers the lock into the pit, "is the best possible place to put it, because it's the central point of the rift, where most of the energy is, and it's directly touching the soil. Plus, it'll be hidden even without the perception filters and force shields. But still, we'll have to take precautions."

The Doctor presses a few buttons, and the lock firmly latches on to the ground, whirring slightly. However, the golden streaks of energy don't yet go through the loop as they should. Then he points his sonic screwdriver at the device, and a clear shield covers it, and it disappears from sight with a perception filter. But I can still see it slightly, and when the Doctor adjusts his sonic and zaps it again, I can see the time energy being sucked into the lock, and suddenly there is immense wind all around us. I gasp as I feel tons and tons of excess time energy flooding through me. I can actually see it as it hits my body, using me like a funnel. When I lift up my hand to look, it's glowing with golden light. Then it's all over, and the awed feeling leaves me. When I look around, the swirls of yellow are much dimmer, but in the pit, they are circling around in an endless ring of light, thanks to our energy loop and the lock.

"What… what was that?"

"I'm sorry, Tris. I'd forgotten. Since you were the link that allowed my universe to exist, the energy had to go through you again. Are you alright?"

"Perfectly fine. Fantastic, actually!" I smile at him.

"Really?"

"Really!"

I laugh. The Doctor begins to walk back to the TARDIS and Jack follows, and I clear my throat loudly. "Ahem!"

"What is it?" The Doctor actually sounds puzzled.

"I think you've forgotten something."

"Oh!" He runs back over to me and hastily closes up the hole with the cement block again.

"For a genius, you really can be quite stupid sometimes."

"Oi! That's not fair!"

"Ah, but truth isn't always fair!"

The Doctor rolls his eyes but gives in, taking my hand. We run back inside of the TARDIS and make our goodbyes to Jack, who promises to keep an eye on the rift stabilizer for us. Then I turn to the Doctor before we leave.

"So. What are we going to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you going to take me back home again, or do I stay with you?"

"Didn't I already make this clear?" The Doctor puts his hands on my shoulders and gives me a cheeky grin. "You, Miss Beatrice Nightingale, are definitely a keeper!"

* * *

**End note:**

**Please let me know what you thought. I'd love some ideas for new fan fictions (Sherlock or Doctor Who) or cross overs or anything, really. Feel free to give requests! Also, I'd like to know how to improve my writing, if anyone knows, lol. Hope I didn't loose your interest because of the wait!**

**(Well crap - I was going to say something else, but I forgot! Oh well. I'll remember at some irrelevant moment tomorrow afternoon.)**

**Until next time! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**

**Hello again! I may or may not be able to post again soon, as I will be travelling, and wifi opportunities may vary. I will try my best. Here is the next part. It's a bit longer, so I hope you enjoy it! :) I have much more coming, at least three more chapters already written, but I've decided to post them in bits so that I don't run out too quickly. Well, when I say bits, I mean chapters as long as this one! :P Anyway. Here you go!**

* * *

The Doctor, however, doesn't take me anywhere special just then. He simply takes me home, five minutes after I left.

"Now, remember what I've told you; if you're really sure about leaving, you can only come back about twenty or so times, because I can't come back at the exact same moment, or else my timeline would wind back on itself. So take what you need from your home, and then we'll be gone for a good long while. Does that sound alright?"

"Yeah." I still can't quite believe that I'm doing this; running away with the Doctor. I walk back under the glaring light of the streetlamp and turn the corner. Fortunately, I remembered to keep my keys in my jeans pocket, so I quietly unlock the door and go through the house, filling up a small navy blue Jansport bag with necessities. I pack toiletries and knickknacks and some spare clothes, and then I stuff a camera and my computer in as well, just in case. I also add a stainless steel water bottle. On a last note, I walk softly back into my dark bedroom and slip my bear blanket in as well, careful to bury it under everything else to keep it hidden. Then I'm ready to go.

I take out my newly added penlight from my back pocket and make my way back to the TARDIS. The Doctor is waiting for me, leaning casually against its old, familiar blue frame. I decide that this is probably the best image in the world, and I save it mentally.

"So," I state, unsure of what to say. I hitch my backpack up higher on my jacketed shoulders.

"So," the Doctor repeats, with a twinkle in his eyes. He knows what I want to hear. And when he speaks those fantastic words, I know that there is no going back, and I will never regret my choice. "You've got the whole of time and space laid out at your feet. Where would you like to start?"

"Anywhere. Anywhere at all!"

"Oh, come on, give me something to work with here! I bet you know something, eh, from watching all of my travels!"

"Well… how about you choose one? I mean, it's more interesting to visit somewhere new than somewhere you've already seen or heard about!"

"Okay, then answer me this; forwards or backwards?"

The Doctor strides into the TARDIS and I set my bag down on the grate off to the side as he looks at me expectantly.

"How about… current time, different place? I want to see what aliens are doing _now!"_

"You already are."

"Don't be cheeky! You know what I mean! Aliens _other _than you!"

"Oh, all right! But give me some guidelines! What do you want it to be like?"

I think for a moment. "Oh! This is probably unlikely, but is there a planet somewhere with dragons? Sentient dragons, ones that you can ride, something like the book _Eragon_ or something?"

The Doctor grins. "I know just the place!" Then he rushes around the TARDIS, pushing buttons and twirling dials. When he comes around to the final lever that finishes the trip, I'm already there, and I laugh as I yank down, hard. We're tossed violently through the air and we land in a heap just like we did when we landed in Cardiff. However, this time, it's the Doctor that lands on me, and for a moment we don't move or speak. Then he breaks the moment and rolls off of me, laughing.

"Allons-y! Come on, Tris! Better be careful, though – don't walk out, just take a look, okay? And be friendly, and just do as I say. Brilliant people, the Janar, but they're very protective over the other race, the dragons. The dragons are more intelligent than they are, very strong telepaths, but the Janar like to think of themselves as superior, because they walk on two legs. Silly bipedal life-forms, we all think we're so clever, when really, it's the so-called animals that are sensible!"

We reach the doors, and the Doctor throws them open exuberantly. I gasp at the sight before me.

We're perched at the top of a tree, literally at its very peak. However, this particular tree is over four hundred feet tall, like a massive, straight acacia tree. I look down to see that the tree is separate from the rest of an equally immense forest, at the head of it, actually. We face an expansive desert, broken only by the occasional grove of smaller trees and a long greenish blue band of fast-flowing water that swirls across the dust.

When I tilt my head up, the sky is an unusually deep blue, but somehow not dark. Two suns sit in the sky, one directly above us, and one smaller, more orange one lower down. Then I see what occupies that sky, and I laugh out loud.

A smooth-skinned creature sails above us, indigo in color, with gem-like amber eyes. It has long muscular arms, with leathery flaps attached, like bat's wings, but not hairy. The chest is deep, but streamlined and perfect for flight, and forearms tuck into it neatly, a convenient, proportional length, and hind legs hug a powerful whip-like tail with an end like an arrowhead. The creature's neck is long and elegant, with a great angular head at the end, cone shaped ears tilted backwards and two spikes nestled just above them. The beast lets out a joyous roar, and I grin. It's a dragon.

More dragons twirl in the sky, and others dart beneath us, with varying shapes, sizes, and colors. Some of them have riders, holding onto neck spikes or wing arms, sometimes with a light leather saddle. There appears to be no way to control them physically, but then I remember about the Doctor saying that they were highly telepathic. I wonder how that works, if it's anything like _Eragon _by Christopher Paolini.

I turn to the Doctor ecstatically. "Oh, thank you! This is amazing! Fantastic!"

The Doctor grins impudently. "Did I mention? I'm brilliant!"

"Don't get cocky!" I laugh at him and, without thinking, reach up a hand to ruffle his hair. He cocks an eyebrow, but pretends not to be perturbed and comes up with a clever response.

"Well, you can't say you don't love it! I've got the _right _to be cocky right now, wouldn't you say? I mean, I did bring you here, to Janara."

"Oh, alright. You get this one. I love this place."

"Don't just stand there! Come on, we're going to have an adventure!"

"Better than saving two universes from rogue rift energy?"

"Even better than that! Yep!" The Doctor pronounces every syllable loudly and clearly, popping the 'p' on 'yep.' I giggle.

The Doctor climbs out of the TARDIS, balancing carefully on the forked branch. I can't help but let out a panicked breath when his Converse slip on the rough bark, and he looks back at me amusedly when he regains his balance.

"I'm not defeated _that _easily, Beatrice Nightingale!"

I laugh nervously. "I still don't like it."

"Come on, it's safe, trust me. Just got to hop down here!" With that, the Doctor does just as he says, taking a little jump down to the next branch six and a half feet below. Somehow, he lands steadily, his face shaded by the thick foliage of the giant acacia tree. That reminds me…

"So, Doctor," I begin as I carefully lower myself down beneath the branch I had previously stood on. "Are these basically just a huge species of acacia tree?"

"I'm surprised you'd know that."

"I don't know much about trees, just a few. I like Africa, anyhow. But I like these better, because they're bigger and less pokey."

"I see. Well, that's the good part. The bad part is, dragons love to rub against them, so if you're not careful, they might overlook you and squish you against the trunk."

"Really?" I'm a bit skeptical.

"Oh, I'm just kidding. Dragons aren't inconsiderate creatures."

"So they _do _like rubbing against monster acacia trees?"

"Yep! Ooh, here we are!"

We've climbed down around twenty or thirty feet to a break in the tree branches. From here down, they are no longer closely grouped. Instead, they reach out very widely and there's at least fifteen feet between every layer of branches.

When I follow the Doctor to the edge of our branch, I see that it connects to three others, a sort of central area between four massive trees. Other smaller branches connect as well, creating an intricately patterned, natural floor with gaps of only a foot wide at the most.

"How did they make this?"

"I told you, the dragons are highly psychic. They connect with the trees and literally sing them into shapes like this as landing platforms for their riders."

"So it's exactly like Eragon?"

"Not exactly, no. Most of these trees aren't hollowed out; instead, people build around them, connecting their wooden buildings to branches and trunks and vines. And these trees are naturally large as well. Very convenient."

"Where are all the people?"

"Out flying, probably. But don't worry, I know exactly where to go."

The Doctor saunters off to a tree opposite ours and circles the ten-foot thick trunk. He jumps up and grabs ahold of a thick branch above his head, and to my surprise, it folds down, covered in neatly cut notches – a perfect ladder. I follow him up, and we find ourselves in a little sunlit clearing on a miniature branch-floor like the one we just left. It's dappled with sunlight and bare of any piece of furniture or decoration whatsoever, except for a thick moss carpet. A thin figure sits at the edge, overlooking the dragon-filled sky at the end of the forest. We're still on the outskirts, the very last tree before the plains.

The Doctor steps forward and speaks out tentatively.

"Ella?"

The figure swings her legs up and stands. Her green eyes widen in surprise, and she pushes a strand of long dark red hair back from a pale-skinned face. I'm guessing that the people here are human, or, at least, close to it.

"Doctor! Who's this?" she asks curiously, in a melodic voice. However, she doesn't seem to have a trace of jealousy, which somehow relieves me.

"This is Tris. We've come to see if one of your friends was willing to give us a tour for the day."

"Of course. Kiera and Leo are both home today. I'm sure they'll be fine with it. They like visitors."

"Thank you." The Doctor smiles at her and follows her down a rope ladder at the end of the platform. A larger one extends below, around thirty feet long.

She whistles shrilly, and two dragons dive down from a little ways above and perch on the woven branches. They are both about ten feet from talons to tops of heads, but they look entirely different but for that aspect. One of them is the deep indigo one I saw earlier, with incredibly intelligent amber eyes. She is beautiful and very graceful, with streamlined curves, just as detailed and muscled up close as from afar. The other one has a squarer head and instead of thick, smooth skin, has hard, glittering orange scales. He has very fierce green eyes and stronger forelegs, more of a horse-like build than the female's bird-ish poise, despite their both having dexterous front arms.

"Tris, this is Kiera," she points to the deep blue-purple female, "and this is Leo," Ella says with a smile, running a hand along the golden-scaled male.

I suddenly feel a prodding sensation against my mind and two voices enter.

_Welcome, honored guest. I am Kiera._

_ And I, _says the deeper voice inside of my head, _am Leo._

_ I'm Beatrice Nightingale. _I think to them, willing my thoughts to project towards the two dragons. They blink in surprise.

_Most humans do not have it so easy on their first try. You have a strange aura, young one. _Leo leaves my mind and turns his emerald gaze to the Doctor as Kiera speaks to me inquisitively.

_ I do?_

They hum in agreement.

_Do not worry. It is not a curse, but a blessing. You are changed, Nightingale._

_ I… I suppose I am._

_ This IS new to you, is it not?_

_ Yes. It's… a long story._

Kiera purrs in amusement. _It's all right, Nightingale, I understand. You've yet to find your place in the world, hmm?_

_ No, _I say with a smile, _I've found my place. Just not HOW I fit in it._

_ I see. But that's not why you came here. Come, and tell me._

_ Well, space travel and dragons and all this stuff… it's new. I mean, the concept isn't at all, and it doesn't surprise me – again, long story – but I never actually experienced it until about seven hours ago, really. And now I'm here, since the Doctor volunteered to take me wherever I wanted to go. I wanted to see dragons, and it's really a dream come true._

_ That sounds quite amazing, but I'll have you know; we are not pets!_

_ I know! I know! Trust me, I respect you as much, probably more, than I do humans or the like._

_ Thank you. But I trust you DO want something more than just observing, yes? _Kiera gets a mischievous glint in her amber eyes and she rustles her wings. My eyes widen in surprise.

_Oh!_

_ Yes, child. Come on!_

I turn back to look at the Doctor. He nods his head in approval, his eyes shining happily. I take a couple paces forward and tentatively reach a hand up towards Kiera's great triangular head. She reaches down and presses her hard, smooth indigo forehead to my palm and hums joyously. Then she nudges her nose into my chest, urging me forward. I hesitantly walk around her, gripping my hands on her high spine, and pull myself up onto her bare back shakily. I have to boost my leg up with a booted foot against her knee, but once I'm up, I find that I fit perfectly, elbows resting above the beginning of her wing arms, almost lying down, with feet tucked against her ribcage. I see that the Doctor is in a similar position, although more propped up with Leo's horse-ish frame, on the orange dragon's back.

"You've got to connect with her mind to tell her where to go, sort of think into her head, Tris!"

"I already did."

"Really? Our connection must be stronger than I thought…" The Doctor toys with his sonic screwdriver whilst atop Leo's back and suddenly I feel a tendril of golden thought seep though into my head, like the ones that I'd felt with Leo and Kiera, but much stronger.

_Oh. That's interesting._

_ Doctor! How…_

_ Psychic link. Normally, people can't detect them, but we've got an unusually strong one. Brilliant! I think you're more Time Lord than I thought! Not… not dangerously so, of course, but… well, it's pretty amazing! Oh, I'm sorry; I'm talking too much, aren't I? Allons-y!_

Suddenly, both dragons turn around and take off, and we're soaring through the air. It's a fantastic feeling, like I weigh nothing at all, looking down and seeing that we're five hundred feet above the ground and yet not being afraid at all. We rise further still, where the air should be too thin to breathe.

The wind is too strong to speak, so I reach out to the Doctor's mind and find it blocked by smooth, thick, and impenetrable glass walls, clouded and opaque. I push harder, but it's no use. I can't get him to understand me. Frustrated, I yell mentally at the block.

_Doctor!_

A surprised feeling radiates from the massive glass sphere that is the Doctor's mind, and I feel him observing me, scanning me over.

_Tris? How'd you get here?_

_ I looked for your mind, and I found it. How are you talking to me if your shields are still up?_

_ Well, you seem to have breached them; the first ones, anyway. You're quite the girl, Tris! What is it that you want? Isn't this brilliant?_

_ Yeah, it's amazing! Better than I could ever have possibly dreamed! But how can we breath when we must be at least a thousand feet in the air? Wouldn't the air be too thin to breath?_

_ Well on earth, the air only starts to thin at around eight thousand feet or so, which is when you start to get sick, but this planet has an enhanced atmosphere, so the air never thins until you're completely out of atmospheric shell. Understand?_

_ Yeah, I think so. That's amazing!_

_ It is, isn't it? I told you, these Janar. They're the first to come up with the system, since their main transportation method is by dragon or glider._

_ Glider?_

_ Yup! _Even in thought form, his "p's" make a loud popping noise, and I smile to myself. _They use hang-gliders to go from place to place. They're solar powered, which is very useful, as the whole planet is a great big desert or the Tall Forests, and occasionally mountains, so there's lots of sun, and they're made of this brilliant fabric constructed from the fibers of these acacia leaves once they've fallen, so they are extra strong, and camouflage as well! Amazing, isn't it?_

_ Uh-huh._

_ I've been rambling again, haven't I?_

_ Yeah. It's all right though. So, where are we going today? What's the plan?_

_ Wherever you want. Let's let the dragons choose, shall we?_

_ Fine by me!_

I open my eyes and turn to my left to look at the Doctor, who is, due to the long wingspan of the parallel dragons, around twenty feet away, and give him a quick smile before closing them again to talk to Kiera.

_What's you're favorite place to go without Ella? Do you like her?_

_ Most of the humans on this planet are stupid and proud, and bothersome, so we don't enjoy being with them unless they are specifically our "masters," as they like to call themselves, or our friends. You two are an exception, because you two are special._

_ So where do you usually go when you aren't with Ella?_

_ Would you like me to show you?_

_ Yes, please!_

I turn to the Doctor again. _We're going to see Kiera's favorite spot!_

_ Where's that?_

_ No idea!_

He laughs out loud.

_I like you, Tris. You're like me – a taste for adventure and danger!_

_ No, I'm like me – this trait isn't just from you, Doctor!_

_ Oh, I know. Trust me, I can tell!_

_ Thanks, I guess._

I suddenly draw away from the conversation as Kiera stops aimlessly floating, and we gather speed alarmingly quickly. She pulls into a steep dive, and I shout out in exhilaration. This is incredible! Then she abruptly swings upward again, shooting out like an arrow into the open desert, past all of the trees and the commotion. Leo follows with the Doctor on his back, and the two dragons flash dark and light in the sinking noonday suns. The other dragons are far behind us already, mere flashes of color in the distance. The trees are already growing smaller and smaller, and over a longer amount of time, they seem to be the size of normal Earth trees, swarmed by colorful dragonflies or moths. It amuses me to see that somehow, because it's so much more amazing than dragonflies circling little trees.

The Doctor sees that I am looking behind me, and he grins.

_Brilliant, isn't it? These creatures are the fastest in the galaxy. They travel at hundreds of miles an hour and incredibly high acceleration rates. Blimey!_

When he turns back, his eyes widen, and I wonder what his exclamation was all about. When I turn my head, my hair is blasted by wind, no longer sheltered by Kiera's neck after I raise my head above it. Then I, too, take a quick intake of breath at the sight before us. After traveling for only an hour, we've gone over a hundred miles, and there is only desert around us for thousands more, not a single obstacle in any direction. But then Kiera tilts upwards once more, rising so high that I can see the very curve of the earth, and suddenly there is land all around us. Confusion fills me, but then I realize, and my eyes get so wide that I think they're going to pop right out of their sockets.

There are _floating islands - _in the _sky. _Tree roots dangle out from beneath almost tooth-like chunks of land, and grass and trees and waterfalls lie above them, coating the lightly colored earth. It's like the futuristic movie _Avatar, _only even better and not a single human in sight, and no helicopters to disturb the sounds of rushing water and trilling birds and roaring and screaming dragons. Somehow even that is cheerful, not scary or annoying. I laugh out loud at the amazing sight.

The wind has lessened considerably as the two dragons level out and dart smoothly between islands, gently riding the thermals in the air. Now warm breezes caress my face, and I beam ecstatically.

"You weren't expecting this, were you, Tris?"

"No… I don't… How can I even begin to thank you?"

The Doctor looks straight into my eyes, totally serious. "By staying with me."

I feel tears streak my face. "I don't even know what to say."

"Then don't. Just enjoy it."

Kiera snakes her head around to look at me.

_He's right, child. You're overthinking things. Look at what's been given to you, and simply accept it. It's easier that way, Nightingale._

_ I'll try, Kiera. I'll try my best._

"Thank you, Doctor. For all you've done."

"I haven't done all _that _much, not _really!_"

"Is that _modesty _I hear?"

"Um. Yes. I suppose."

"There it goes. Lost yet again!" I laugh at his awkward reply.

"Well you can't say I've got no reason to be proud!"

"No, I suppose you can't. But you've got some vanity in that big head of yours, Doctor!"

"Hey!"

"I'm just joking with you. I thanked you, and I meant it! Would I really be so rude after that?"

"Guess not."

"For such a genius, you can be really stupid sometimes!"

"I suppose so."

I'm surprised at his quick agreement, having expected a hurt lash back, but when I look over, I see that he's smiling wryly at me.

"Tris, I'm serious. I think I've finally found a match, someone who understands me fully and yet is still there to reprimand me. You're something totally new, and I think I like it."

_Are you two done? We must land soon, and then you might want to cease talking._

_ Yeah. _Both the Doctor and I respond to Leo's low-voiced request. Suddenly, both dragons swerve sharply upwards, soaring above all of the islands until they reach a single, tiny one, isolated from the rest and coated with long, soft orange grass and pale blue flowers. Somehow, though, the grass doesn't look dried out. I think it's the normal color. And the tree is only a bit larger than normal, but it has bright golden leaves and a warm green trunk.

Kiera and Leo land gently on the rust-colored ground and both the Doctor and I slide off of their backs. I somehow manage not to fall, and the Doctor guides me over to the single tree at the top of a softly sloping hill. We sit together, and he smiles at me.

"This is a lot more alien than everything else, somehow. What with the weirdly colored grass and trees and flowers - I like it." I grin back at him.

"It's nothing in comparison to planets like Raxacoricofallapatorius or Midnight or even Clom. In fact, Tatooine is more "alien" than this!" The Doctor is modest as always.

I gape at him. "Tatooine? That's a real place?"

"Yeah. But don't get overexcited, the Star Wars events never happened, although Queen Amidala was very creative in inventing the storylines. It's a good thing the films were never publicized anywhere other than earth, or some people might have gotten bad ideas."

"You're kidding, right?"

"No, Amidala is a wonderful woman, very intelligent. She made up every single one of the other characters! Brilliant!"

"Okay. Um. What about… say… Austar IV, like from the _Dragon's Blood _series?"

"That's a real place, and the books were based off of real events, with the exception of all of the political issues."

"How many of those sci-fi places exist?"

"Many. I won't list them, though. It'd take too long."

"That's just too cool!" I laugh, unable to stop myself.

"Well, what can I say?"

"You take compliments for the universe, do you now?"

"Hey, I've gone to almost every planet in it, I think I have rights!"

"Suppose you do, don't you. Still, don't get cocky! You haven't been _here _before, have you? I mean, you practically screamed "blimey" in my head when you first saw these islands!"

"Well…no, but I'd _heard _of them…"

"Not the same, Doctor! Admit it!"

"Fine. You win. But I've still been more places than anyone living or dead in the whole universe, and you'd better believe it!"

"I'm not denying it."

We sit in silence for a while, enjoying the view. After a long time, the suns begin to set, one higher than the other. Kiera and Leo join us at the foot of the thick, knotted, oak-like tree, and I lean against the indigo dragon's hot flank as she lies beside me. The winds pick up as the light thins, and the Doctor moves from Leo's side to sit by mine, tucking his coat over my arms.

"Thanks."

Then, "Won't you get cold?"

"Two hearts. Lots of blood flow – it keeps me warm."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Look, no goose bumps!" He rolls up a sleeve and shows me his arm with a cheeky grin. His hair is all fluffed up in the wind.

"Still, you must be at least a bit cold! Here, let's share."

Before he can protest, I pull my arms from his thick brown overcoat and wrap it around both of our shoulders. He looks at me with surprise, dark eyebrows raised comically, and then it changes to a warm, more appreciative gaze. Instead of shrugging in off like I'd expected him to, he scooted closer to me and put a tentative arm around me. I don't want to seem repetitive or annoying, but I cannot say it enough. As I lean into him, I whisper, "Thank you, Doctor. I don't think I'd ever leave this for anything."

I feel him tense up beside me. "Even when it gets dangerous?"

"Even then."

"Even though you've never actually experienced real danger?"

"You know I've seen what it can be like, and I don't care."

"I know. Thank you, Tris, for understanding me. I don't think I'm leaving you, either." He grips my arm tighter, and somehow, it doesn't seem awkward or even romantic, just comforting, as we watch the two suns set, and eventually just fall asleep against Kiera's side.

* * *

**End note:**

**Okay. I need a bit of help here guys. So the next chapter will be a little bit fluffy, although the conversations won't be very good, so I hope you like that, but I need to know how much fluff exactly to put in there. Basically, I need to know... IS IT WEIRD FOR A SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD HUMAN GIRL TO BE IN LOVE WITH A NINE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FOUR YEAR OLD TIME LORD? There. I said it. I may want to add romance in this fiction, but I need your opinions! Should I do it or should I not? Thank you for your help in advance! :)**

**Also, again, I'd like to know if any of you have fanfiction requests. Want me to write a fanfiction about Sherlock or Doctor Who? Give me a general suggestion and I will gladly write it up! Any prompt will do! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:**

**This chapter is a bit longer than even the last one! I wrote a lot more last night to make it :). But it will probably be a long time before I post again, at least a few weeks, so I apologize for that. Maybe give me a few tips or suggestions to speed up the process?**

* * *

I'm woken by a ray of bright moonlight that shifted abruptly to blast right into my face. To my surprise, the Doctor is still asleep. I know for a fact that he doesn't sleep often, so this pleases me. He looks so relaxed in his sleep, so much less dangerous and harsh. Without his dark eyes to look worried and deep and hardened, his features are softer, more innocent, and I can see the smile lines at the corners of his eyes. His hair is mussed up gently from the light, cool breeze, and I smile tenderly at him, feeling weirdly protective. I'm reminded of how lonely he must be. Almost eighty years without a companion. Of course, I can't know for certain that he didn't have any other companions in that time, but he didn't seem to have changed at all from when Wilfred Mott left, besides a few more cold layers of age in his eyes. I suppose that I'd opened him up again, made him see the universe through someone else's eyes once more. If nobody finds him of their own free will, he doesn't realize that he needs anybody at all, and bad things happen. His companions are his rocks, his anchors, holding him in place so he doesn't fly out of control like he did on Mars. I sigh, wondering how deeply damaged he still is, and if I can help to heal him like Rose did.

I trace scar over one of his eyebrows idly, and then realize what I'm doing and carefully move away from him, wrapping my end of his coat back over his right arm. I take a deep breath.

_I'm not going to fall for him. I can't. I can't. Maybe I joked about it with my friends at school, but… I'm only seventeen, for God's sake! Okay. Calm down, Tris._

After a moment, I relax, and walk away from the sleeping Doctor. Both dragons are asleep as well, so I walk out from underneath the tree and walk further up the grassy slope until I reach a sharp precipice at the highest point of land. I literally cannot breath when I stop.

The wind is stronger at the top. The sky is a deep velvety blue, with tinges of purple and black. It's like a painted canvas, spattered with stars. Seven moons dot the sky in different places and varying in size. Four of them are like our moon, white and silver, but others are totally foreign looking. One of them is a faded blue, one of them is sort of orange, and the last one is huge, at least ten times the size of ours, and blindingly white. It's streaked with gray and riveted with thin, neat lines of blue, almost like rivers on its surface. Maybe that's what they are.

The sky is so clear and empty of pollution or buildings or clouds that it's like I'm up in a plane. I can actually see the curve of the planet at the horizon lines, and the edge of the atmospheric shell genuinely looks spherical, making it seem impossibly gigantic and surreal. Bellow me, the ground falls away steeply, a straight cliff face, just empty, cold air until it reaches the ground, miles and miles away. It seems utterly weird, like it's not actually happening. I shiver, but not because of the temperature. I step a few feet away from the edge, and then laugh softly to myself.

Somehow, I don't feel afraid of heights anymore when I look up into the infinite sky. When I had looked down, I felt afraid, but not of falling, just of the impact. I felt the need to fly, not on dragon back, but just to soar off into the air, wind whipping through the thin fabric of my clothes, feeling untethered to the ground, free of gravity and free of restraint.

I stare at the sky, remembering all the times I had done the same at home, hoping and dreaming that maybe, if I wished and stared hard enough, the Doctor would come to me. And after four months of endless yearning, when I felt like there wasn't anything magical left for me in the universe, he came. And he accepted me, even when I feared he wouldn't. It seemed so unreal, but now, gazing happily up at the alien sky, light-years away from Earth, breathing the foreign air, it is just _so _real. I think that this is the moment when I finally accept that I'm here, with the Doctor, and I won't ever leave. Not that time in Cardiff, not on the back of a dragon as we neared the floating islands, not even last night, talking with him, but now. Now, on my own with my whirling emotions, I can finally just breathe, relax, and know that even when I'm not safe, I'll always feel at home travelling with the Doctor. When I watched the show, I always thought that it would be immediate, this sense of fearlessness and hope and ecstasy. And at first, I thought that that was what I felt, but there was always that little flicker of doubt, that spark of fear. Now, although there is still a sense of fear, I have not a single drop of doubt left within me, and I feel like my life has finally settled down, fit together like pieces of a puzzle. I sigh happily and close my eyes.

I can still see the infinite, expansive night sky in my mind, and I imagine flying through it, cold and fresh and beautiful, and above all, exciting. Then I feel a warm hand close around mine, squeezing gently.

When I reopen my eyes, I see the Doctor standing beside me, the stars reflected in his deep brown eyes. He seems happier than before, less guarded.

"Has sleep done you good?"

"I don't know. It's strange; I suddenly feel a lot more relaxed." He eyes me carefully.

"What have you been doing out here?"

"Thinking."

"Anything in particular?"

"I've changed since that night when I first stepped into the TARDIS."

"How so?"

"I'm more sure of myself, less afraid… happier, more certain of my place here… with you…"

"I think… I think we have a deeper link that I originally thought. I woke feeling a lot happier and calm as well."

I look at him in wonder. "Is that a bad thing?"

"No, not at all. In fact, I think I owe you a big thank you. I'm feeling better than I have in… say… Eighty years."

"Really?" I want to cry. I never thought that I could actually fit in as a true companion, a healer, like Rose. A friend, maybe, but this soon into the journey, it was amazing.

"Really. Come on. I want to show you something." The Doctor grips my hand a bit tighter and leads me along the edge of the little island. He stops as we reach a dip in the ground, a sort of ledge, much lower than the rest of the island, sort of bowl shaped. Then he carefully slides down the slope and guides If me behind him.

"If I'm correct, you were wanting to fly just then, weren't you?"

"How… how did you…"

"Our psychic link is becoming stronger, I told you. Anyway, I know how you can fly. I'd almost forgotten about this, but when dragons fly, it isn't just the wings that cause them to do so, although they could fly just with wings. They also have a sort of… I guess you could call it magic, without going into a whole rant about how it works scientifically, that keeps them in the air, allowing them to fly without becoming overexerted, so that if their wings were hurt or tired, they could literally fold them up and just keep flying. And the best part is that when the dragons link up with humans, or Time Lords, I suppose, as a sort of safety measure, they share that power with them as well, so that if they fall, they won't get hurt." The Doctor waits a moment for the information to sink in.

"So you're saying… that we can _fly?_"

"Yep! However, it will only work on this planet, as far as I know, I haven't cared to try anywhere else. So don't go jumping off any skyscrapers on Earth or anything, okay?"

"Okay." Somehow, I'm not surprised by the information, just very, very excited. I cannot wait to get started. Then I have an idea. Without waiting for the Doctor's approval, somehow just knowing that I would be safe, I leap off of the island, plummeting towards the ground. I laugh out loud as I level out, shooting through the cool air. It is exactly how I'd imagined it and more. Then I realize that I had went underneath the island. I giggle. Exactly as planned.

"TRIS!" I hear the Doctor calling in alarm.

"It's okay, Doctor, I'm here!" I dart out from beneath the island and fly up so that I'm floating in front of him. I grin cheekily.

"How did you do that?"

I frown. "What do you mean?"

"How did you fly so easily? Most people are very hesitant and tend to flail about a lot, and you just shot out like you'd been doing it all of your life!" He looks at me with amazement. I do a backwards flip in the air.

"I dunno. I sort of just… _went. _I just thought, well, how about I fly over there, and so I did! It isn't rocket science!"

"So you use thought control? That takes a huge amount of instinct; most humans wouldn't think of that first. You must have gotten a pretty big dose of Time Lord reflex!"

"Is that bad?"

"Not at all." The Doctor smiles and jumps into the air, climbing higher in the sky. I laugh and follow him, catching up easily, and we chase each other through the air. Then I have an idea, and fly past him, upwards, until I'm miles above our already high island.

When the Doctor reaches me, I sit in the air. He sits beside me. Funny; I didn't even think about it, and we're just sitting on nothing!

"How high up are we? How much further until the atmospheric shell ends?"

The Doctor reaches inside of his jacket (his big coat is still on the island) and pulls out his sonic screwdriver. He sticks it out in front of him and it glows blue.

"We're about four miles from the atmospheric shell, which means that we're almost in space. Don't try going through, though – without the TARDIS, you can't breathe in space!"

"I know that, you doofus!" I push him playfully, and he loses balance and falls through the air before flying back up again.

"Yeah, probably should have thought that over before saying that."

"Probably," I say, rolling my eyes sarcastically. Then I grin at him. "Come on!"

"What?" I don't give him any warning; I just grab his hand and pull him into the air with me. We fly even higher, and then I soar outwards, over the islands that are so small below us, and I am reminded of how impossibly high we are. Because we are going so fast, I decide not to talk out loud.

_Doctor, is Janar's atmosphere any larger or taller than Earth's? We're as high up as a plane above the islands, and the islands are that same distance from the ground. How is that possible?_

_Remember – atmospheric shell! They expanded it to over twice the height of Earth's atmosphere in order to allow for less traffic in the skies. Now, you can travel anywhere without slowing down because there are so many flight levels over such a vast space. Janar is a very large planet, and even larger if you count the shell. _The Doctor smiles beside me as he speaks in my mind. He is still holding my hand tightly in his firm grasp. Even without talking out loud, the Doctor still loves to explain things. I smile back and give his slightly larger hand a squeeze.

_This is amazing. _I whoop, laughing as I suddenly tumble through the air with the Doctor. We lose control, flipping multiple times before we regain our balance, wind whipping through the fabric of our clothes. We burst into fits of hysterical giggling and free-fall once more. It's incredibly exciting to be able to fall and feel weightless with adrenaline pumping through me, and then suddenly swerve upwards, making my stomach drop. It's like my own personal rollercoaster, with the Doctor right beside me. He looks almost as happy as I do. I know from the alternate timeline Eleventh Doctor that he loves having companions so that he can see through their eyes and look at the universe like we do. _Oh my god. "We." I actually can use the word "we." I am a COMPANION!_

I laugh again, and the Doctor and I dart back downwards, looping and twisting and turning through the air, chasing each other until we spill messily onto the soft grass at the top of our little floating island. We lie there for a good long while, just panting and giggling like little children, and then I sit up. The Doctor follows me as I walk back to Kiera and Leo, who are still sleeping under the light of the seven moons. He puts a hand on my shoulder and I lean into him. The Doctor pulls me into an embrace and whispers into my hair.

"You know, I think this psychic link really is doing me good, Tris. I cannot thank you enough."

"You don't have to thank me at all – your gift to me was the stars themselves, and that's more than anyone could ever ask."

"We've had this conversation several times now, haven't we?"

"Yeah. Yeah, we have. It's for a good reason though – it means that we're both grateful. But you know what? I think this is the last time. We're good now, yeah?"

"Yeah. We're more than good, Tris. We're amazing." He smiles at me gently. I return the gesture full-heartedly. Then we both lean against Kiera again and fall asleep in each other's arms.

I wake to incredibly bright sunlight. The second sun, the small orange one, has risen to the right of the larger white one, which is blocked by another island, and it just cleared the edge of our island. I yawn and stretch my arms, noticing that the Doctor is no longer beside me. Kiera has moved as well, because I'm now leaning against the hill instead of her scaly back. I must have slept a very long time.

"Doctor?" I stand, and then realize that the two dragons and the Time Lord are sitting at the foot of the island, with the Doctor's coat spread out between them. When I run over, I see that they are eating breakfast.

"What's this? How'd you get food?" The two dragons of course, aren't eating, and the Doctor hasn't yet begun his plate of unpeeled bananas and buttered toast. Another plate is at my end of the coat, across from the dragons, with the same items, and the rest of the loaf of bread is at the center.

The Doctor winks at me and pulls out his sonic screwdriver from his pinstriped jacket. "My pockets are bigger on the inside, and this little beauty has over two thousand settings – including toasting and cutting bread! In fact, it can do both at once!" He demonstrates, pointing the device at the bread and slicing it with a blue laser beam. Then he tosses it to Leo, who snaps it up with a fearsome maw filled with sharp, layered teeth. I laugh at his happy face, and then turn back to the Doctor.

"Thank you. I suppose this is making up for the lack of dinner?" I joke.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't realize…"

"No, no, it's fine! We had quite a large lunch in Cardiff, anyhow."

We both dig in to our meals and then mount the dragons again. Once, I decide to attempt falling off and end up a hundred feet below the dragons and have to fly back up again, and the Doctor scolds me for scaring him half to death. I tell him he sounds like an overprotective mother, and he pouts, furrowing his eyebrows and complaining that he was only caring for my wellbeing. Then I tell him he's reminding me of a nine-year-old. He gives me a look, and I burst out laughing.

"Nine hundred and eighty four years old, and you are SO changeable!"

"Is that a bad thing?" He actually looks worried for a moment.

"No! No, it's not bad at all. It means that you're still _you, _still a Time Lord with normal emotions. It means that you've healed." My mouth curves upward in a gentle grin, and the Doctor looks relieved.

"So, are we going back now?"

"Yes. Do you want to stay longer?"

"Not unless you do. I think I'm ready to go back to the TARDIS. Maybe you can give me a tour!"

"It'd be my pleasure!" The Doctor winks somewhat cockily, and I give him a mental slap. He glares at me in mock-horror. We laugh again. My dad once told me that you know you're close to someone when you laugh with them the most. I trust his advice.

After a few more hours of flight, the two dragons, Kiera and Leo, land on Ella's platform. We say our goodbyes and give a gigantic thanks to Ella and the dragons, and then I follow the Doctor up the maze of branches until we reach the TARDIS. Once inside, he turns to face me.

"Tris, would you mind if I did another scan on you?"

"No, why?"

"Our link seems to have grown a significant amount. I know that you've been feeling it, too. I need to make sure it doesn't become a bigger issue."

"Okay…"

The Doctor takes me to the silver scanning room again and the blue light runs over my body once more. It doesn't feel as strange as before. I wonder what that means.

He puts on his glasses to look at the screen. This time, he looks slightly worried. I feel nervous.

"What is it, Doctor? What's happened?"

"Tris, your Time Lord DNA has increased. You're now a full quarter Time Lord. It isn't anything to be worried about – in fact, it means that you're an even stronger person in mentality and in body. You're also stronger in overall endurance and cell strength. But if it continues like this, it could get bad, so I'm going to have to put a sort of stopper in your DNA to keep it from fluctuating, sort of like what we did in the Rift. This one, though, is going to be sort of like a mental version of it. I'm going to have to go into your mind and put a lock on it that way."

"Okay." I trust him fully and completely as I stare into his huge brown eyes.

"You sure about this? I can always have you sleep while I do it, so you don't feel anything strange."

"No, it's fine."

"Allons-y!" The Doctor says, with a sort of sad smile. But when I smile back, he looks happier, more enthusiastic. I hope he isn't worried about hurting me again. I don't want him to become sad like he was after Rose left.

I feel a strange sensation. The Doctor's thought tendril stretches out and entwines with mine, two bright golden ropes reaching out from balls of glowing light. I notice that where mine was previously tinged with white and blue along with the stronger gold, it is now streaked a rich, royal red color like the Doctor's. It must be the Time Lord DNA. Then the Doctor pulls himself along my rope, and I close my eyes, focusing all of my energy inwards.

_Doctor?_

_Yes. I'm sorry, Tris. This might feel a bit weird._

_'S all right, Doctor._

_I'm going to start searching your mind now. I'll need to sift through some memories to get to the center, where the actual foundation is. If there's something you don't want me seeing, imagine a door and shut it. You probably know that from Reinette, though, don't you?_

_Yeah. It's okay though. I'm not going to go the other way, don't worry._

_I wouldn't mind._

_It's an invasion of privacy!_

The Doctor is silent for a moment. Then I realize what I just implied.

_No! That's not what I meant, and you know it! I'm _letting _you into my mind, Doctor. It's all right._

_You sure?_

_Yes, of course I'm sure! Get on with it!_

_Beatrice Nightingale. You are amazing. _I sense him shaking his head wonderingly, and then he moves on. It's a strange feeling; the Doctor was right. He literally has to push past piles and boxes and stacks of memories. Some are little rooms, some are just heaps of random words and emotions, some are cardboard boxes, neatly organized, and some are books filled with pages and pages of dreams and drawings and poems. I never knew that my mind ordered itself like this.

Eventually, the Doctor reaches the center of my mind. It's a spinning circle of golden threads, glowing brightly and shining light on the black space around it. The Doctor's figure throws himself into the vortex and I gasp as I feel a spark of pain. Then it's over, and I open my eyes. I sense that a few minutes have passed.

"Are you all right?" The Doctor bends over me worriedly.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Did you do it?"

"Yes. It's good; it's locked. I put a few extra safety measures on it, so it won't come off unless I specifically go and unlock it, and that would take a good long while; you're safe, Tris." He smiles at me reassuringly.

"Thanks." I take his hand when he offers it to me, and the Doctor pulls me up out of the chair. We race each other down the corridor, and I somehow manage to beat him. He is actually out of breath when we pound into the control room.

"I think you've gained some Time Lord stamina, too!"

"Yeah? Hey, what about that tour you offered me?"

"Ah, yes! Well, what would you like to see first? We can go from there!"

"Um… the library!" I know one exists because of the episode "the Eleventh Hour" but I never actually saw it. "You do have one, don't you? Oh! And maybe after we're done with the rest of the tour, I'd like to see the pool!"

"Good choices! Allons-y!" With that, the Doctor grabs my hand and we race down several sets of corridors, all different. Some are like the inside of the season 5 TARDIS, some are like Clara's TARDIS, and some are grated with coral walls like this Doctor's control room. Then there are a few like an old mansion's halls, with polished, red-brown mahogany walls and floors, and beautiful red and gold and deep blue Persian rugs. Then we slow down, and we finally reach a set of intricately carved wooden doors. The Doctor pushes them open gently to reveal a spectacular, old-fashioned library with multiple-story balconies lining the walls and spiral staircases in all four corners. Overstuffed armchairs and oil lamps sit in comfortable little circles, and an immensely tall cylindrical bookshelf stretches all the way up to the top of the room, which is over a hundred feet above us. Wheeled ladders reach up about twenty feet, and then there is a narrow railed platform, and another ladder. It goes on like this until it gets to the very end of the impossibly tall bookshelves. The ceiling is clear, and I realize that the Doctor must have sent us into space when we first went into the TARDIS without me noticing, because I can see millions of stars in the domed roof.

There are also multiple reading corners and small, cozy bookcases on all of the levels. The library is so crammed with books it's amazing. The oil lamps are all lit, filling the enormously tall room with warm light. They float high in the air, spiraling around the circular bookshelf in the center, without strings or anything to hold them up. I am speechless.

"This is fantastic!"

"Yeah, you really think so?"

"Absolutely. I love books, just the smell of them makes me happy." I take a deep breath, closing my eyes momentarily. It smells musty and comforting and good, like old books and new books and every sort of book I could possibly imagine. "You know, I read over seventy books last summer. Some of them I read in only a few hours, and some in a few days. I would go down to the beach just to read. My parents thought it was too much, and they are bibliophiles, too. So I started biking a lot. We were in Europe at the time. It's beautiful there. That's when I started to write. I love to write stories, all kinds. Words are so beautiful."

"I agree totally. What do you say to exploring a bit?"

"I'd love to!"

"Where would you like to start?"

"Where do you usually like to read?"

"That's new; I don't think anyone has ever asked me that before. Come, I'll show you." The Doctor leads me up one of the spiral staircases. It takes ten minutes before we reach the top of the library. Then he takes me to the front of the room, where there is a long window viewing the stars that had previously been blocked by the central bookcase. It spans the entire height of the room. The balcony up here curves around so that there is a little platform hugging the window, with curtains closing it off from the rest of the library. Two comfortable armchairs sit angled towards the window with a small end table with a lamp in between them.

"This is so cool! I love it! I can see why you like it here!"

"Hm, yeah. We could go back here after the tour, if you like. How's that sound?"

"Great!" I grin at him. "So what are some of your favorite books?"

"Ooh, I've read thousands upon thousands of books… it's hard to say. But you can never beat the Harry Potter books! And of course, I've read _Eragon, _by Christopher Paolini, which is why we went to Janar. That was pretty good."

"Does he ever write sequels past _Inheritance_?" I have to know!

"Spoilers!" The Doctor says with a wink. I frown slightly. I wonder if he's seen River Song after the Library… will his regeneration have changed that?

"Have you seen River Song lately?"

"What do you mean?"

"In the… in the alternate future, you see her a lot, after the Library. I can't… I can't tell you how, exactly, but she did say that a lot…"

"Did she? I do seem to remember her saying it, yeah. But no, I haven't."

"Oh. Okay."

"So. Are we done here, for now?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Allons-y!"

He surprises me by sliding down the polished wooden banister of the spiral staircase, and I follow him delightedly.

"Wheeeee!" I shout. Then I slip, near the bottom, and hurtle through the air. I feel sudden terror, and frantically try to land on my feet. To my utter shock, I stop falling and rise slightly before resting softly on the floor.

"I guess my flight powers haven't gone, huh?"

"I wouldn't try it on any other planets, though. That's probably just the TARDIS activating it so that you don't hurt yourself. She's a good girl." The Doctor pats the banister affectionately before darting off down the corridor again, with me following quickly at his heels. The design changes again, this time to a sort of futuristic glassy feel, with glowing white walls and floors, and blue lights in columns down the walls every six feet or so. Then it slants downwards, and we're running at a curving angle, steeper and steeper as we go. The Doctor takes me to several different, amazing rooms.

The first is, surprisingly, a gigantic food pantry. Apparently, it used to be stocked entirely with bananas, fish and chips, and some assorted junk food, but the TARDIS, in a motherly, scolding mood, had discarded those and replaced them with every type of food that could ever be in a grocery store to balance out the Doctor's somewhat fluctuating diet.

The second room is a living room, with nice couches and a television, and a door leading to a small restroom in the corner. A few guest bedrooms follow the living room, all with adjourning master bathrooms. The styles change in ever single room, some of them modern, some Spanish, some Victorian, and some just plain and simple, with white walls and sheets and brown wooden furniture.

Then there is a hallway filled chockfull with metal doors. They all lead to machinery rooms. One of them is brimming with, weirdly enough, garden tools. Another contains dozens of Apple devices. The next one has assorted other brands of computers and tablets, and the one after that has computer repair tools. Then there is a power room with extra batteries and generators and chargers and things.

After we pass that hallway, there are climate rooms. Every room has a different climate, from tropical rainforests to dry deserts to California beaches to Arctic plains. The rooms are all exactly one square mile on the inside, and one square yard on the outside. It was spectacular.

The Doctor then leads me up some stairs and we enter a circular room with a holographic control pad in the center and doors lining the walls. He grins at me.

"Look at the screen and tell me where you want to go. Time freezes here once you enter, so we can stay as long as you like!"

When I lean over the glowing screen, I see what he means. There are neat little words covering it, each with a number matching the ones on the doors.

It looks like this:

**#1: ROLLERCOASTERS**

**#2 FAIRGROUNDS**

**#3 WATERPARK**

**#4 POOL**

**#5 SKY**

**#6 OCEAN**

**#7 RACING**

**#8 STABLES**

**#9 MACHINE BUILDER**

**#10 SIMULATOR**

"What's the simulator?"

"I wouldn't use that one if I were you. It's supposed to create a scenario in which you do whatever it is you most want, but you forget that it's just an illusion and you become addicted. You should _always _have someone to be there with you if you stay there for longer than five minutes. Five minutes here, by the way, is twenty minutes in the simulator. If you truly want to try it, then you're only allowed that amount of time, and then I'll pull you out of it. Understand?"

"Yeah. I want to do it." I'm truly interested in what I want most.

"Okay. Step inside. There will be a chair. Sit in it, and strap yourself in. When you press the red button, the dream state will begin."

"Got it."

"Good luck. Have fun! I'll be waiting! And remember – you don't have to tell me what you saw unless you really want to."

"Okay."

I step into the room. It's dark inside, but there is enough light for me to follow the Doctor's instructions. When I press the button, my vision flashes white, and suddenly I'm somewhere else.

_The Doctor sits beside me, laughing. We're in the air above the floating islands of Janar, exactly as it was last night._

_Suddenly it shifts, and it really is the night before. I'm not in a simulator; I'm actually floating in the air. There is no discernable difference between reality and dreams._

_I hold onto the Doctor's hand tightly, and he smiles warmly at me. Then he leans forward and kisses my forehead. I laugh and kiss his nose. He gives my hand another squeeze and we fly forwards until we're in the middle of the desert, without another soul in sight._

_We sit in the air again, still giggling. The Doctor leans over to whisper in my ear._

_"I love you."_

_"I love you, too."_

_Then we both laugh again, and this time the Doctor kisses me on the mouth. I don't feel awkward about it, but I don't feel overly passionate, either. It's just a sweet kiss, a lovely little kiss, a comforting kiss, and an "I love you" sort of kiss. An "I'm here and I'm never leaving" sort of kiss. _

_I embrace him, and I feel so safe and warm in his arms. When we fall asleep together against Kiera, I fall asleep looking into his eyes, his hand wrapped around my waist and my fingers tracing his jawline. Then we drift off into comforting darkness. I can feel our thought tendrils wrapping around each other, tying themselves together in an unbreakable knot._

I sit up suddenly. The Doctor is standing over me, his hand lifting up from the red button he had just pressed. I stare at him in shock. He looks confused, but he doesn't ask. I remember his words from before. "And remember – you don't have to tell me what you saw unless you really want to." I don't know if I want to. Do I? I don't even… I didn't even realize that that was what I wanted. Is that _really _my greatest wish? I had felt so comfortable, and in the back of my mind, I had known that I had been with the Doctor so much longer, that I had been with him on so many other adventures. I suppose that that's true, then. All I ever wanted was adventure and the Doctor. But in _that _way?

It's such a foreign feeling. I try to push it into the back of my mind, but it keeps on coming back, that sense of warmth, that little golden glow of love. I hold it in my hands mentally, running my fingers over it like I would run my tongue over a pulled tooth, something new, something different. I can't get used to it. I don't know what to _do _with it. Instead of shoving it away like I would with any other unwanted emotion, since this one won't cooperate, I set it gently on a cushioned shelf, to examine later. I wonder what it means.

The Doctor sees my face and leans over me worriedly.

"Are you alright?"

"I… I… yeah. I'm… I'm fine…."

He grabs my wrist. "No, no you're not! You're pulse has gone wild! Do you want to tell me what you saw?"

I try to keep my cheeks from going beet red, but I can already feel them heating up. _Tris, what the hell? You are NOT falling for him! What even happened in the simulator? That can't have possibly… I…._

"I'm sorry. No… not yet, at least. Maybe later. Can we go into another room?"

"Of course," he says gently. "Which one?"

"Rollercoasters!"

"Good choice!" The Doctor grins at me and pulls me from the chair. I push my worry aside and excitedly race towards the rollercoaster door.

* * *

**End note:**

**Silverskyfall, thank you for your continued support! :D (She has read over this chapter to make sure it's publish-worthy, so give her a round of applause!) Again, any tips or recommendations or critique or suggestions or requests... I'm open to anything! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry about the abrupt ending last time. Had a little twist at the end of that one! ;) :P Don't worry, nothing hugely major will happen between them over the K+ rating, haha. Let me know what you thought.**

**Anyway, here is the new one. It isn't one of my best, so accept my apology maybe?**

* * *

"Good choice!" The Doctor grins at me and pulls me from the chair. I push my worry aside and excitedly race towards the rollercoaster door. When he opens it, we're standing in an entirely empty theme park. I notice that there aren't any ticket stands or food marts or anything, just huge, towering rollercoasters with loops and dips and turns, and all sorts of different rides as well. I immediately go for the one with the most loops. It's labeled "The Dizzy Machine." I laugh.

"Did you name these?"

"Yep!" The Doctor seems proud.

"Seriously? The Dizzy Machine?"

"What? It has so many loops, it's bound to make you dizzy!"

I simply laugh and shake my head.

"Okay. Let's just get on and ignore the name, yeah?"

"Oi! It's a good name!"

"Fine, fine, whatever floats your boat!"

"The car is over here," the Doctor says with an exaggerated sigh. He leads me to a platform where there is a car containing only three rows containing two seats each. I get into the first one, and the Doctor plants himself beside me. Then he promptly points his sonic screwdriver at a control box next to the tracks and the cart begins to haul itself up a steep slope. I feel the familiar anxiety boiling in my stomach, and then we plummet towards the ground, and then rise up into a loop. I shout out in delight and the Doctor yells along with me. It's immensely exiting, somehow, being on this incredible rollercoaster with the Doctor, and when it's over, I'm feeling overpowered with adrenaline.

"Whew! That was awesome!" I whoop.

"Definitely! Want to go again?"

We repeat the rollercoaster another four times until we finally try all of the other ones. They are all unique in there own ways, and we are in the rollercoaster room for over five hours before we finally exit. Then the Doctor takes me to the #2 door, the Fairgrounds one, which is filled with carnival rides and vendors and sweet shops and games. I ask him how there are so many people here.

"Oh, it's a teleport, not really a room. We're on the Carnival Planet! I figured it's one of the best places to keep a teleport on, so all we have to do to get back is pass through that tent right there!" The Doctor points back to a blue and white striped tent a few stalls away.

"Won't other people notice it and accidentally teleport back to the TARDIS?"

"No, don't worry, it only works on people who came directly out of the TARDIS like we did, so we're safe. Come on, let's go and get some food!"

We walk, hand in hand, down the rows of stalls, and eventually stop at a crêpe stand. Not to my surprise, the Doctor gets a Nutella and banana crêpe with extra bananas. I take one with lemon and sugar. We eat together, leaning against the back of another stall, and then we play various carnival games for an hour or so, using the Doctor's sonic screwdriver to get free tokens.

"Isn't that wrong to steal money like that?"

"Nah! I've got a bank account on most planets. Been saving up!"

"Oh. Where do you get the money?"

"No matter how hard I try, people always want to pay me for my services. Also, I _have _had jobs before! On Gallifrey, I had a job, and it was fairly well paid. I had a got amount of money, and I've transferred it to multiple places."

"Oh. Okay. So are we done here?"

"Sure, if you're getting tired!" The Doctor examines me face for a moment, scanning me with his brown eyes. Then we thank the man at the water gun race stall and return to the teleport. Once we're back in the TARDIS, the Doctor turns to face me.

"You look really worn out. How about we go back to the library now?"

"Not just yet! You forgot about the pool!"

"Ah yes! Which one would you like to visit? The one here teleports to a pool planet, and the other one is actually inside the TARDIS."

"The TARDIS pool!"

"Good choice! Allons-y!" With boundless energy, the Doctor shoots out of the door and down the corridor. I have to run to catch up, and after jogging down many other hallways, we reach a clear glass door, which the Doctor opens for me. Inside is a room with a style almost identical to the control room, with curving coral columns and a grate floor, but with a skylight ceiling and cyan colored pool. It's rounded, but unevenly, so that it's more of a blob shape. I like it, though. The Doctor leads me up to it.

"Wait. I don't have a bathing suit!"

"We've got an entire wardrobe room, remember?"

"Oh. Right."

Suddenly I get an idea. I grin.

"Actually, it's okay. I don't need a bathing suit. Neither do you."

Before he can reply, I push the Doctor into the pool. His head emerges, his hair a sopping wet mess. I laugh hysterically, and then he grabs my foot, and soon we're both soaked to the bone. I splash him in the face. He sputters and then sprays me back. We fight in the water until I find a water gun in a compartment in the wall, and then we have a full on war. Afterwards, we both just float in the pool together, exhausted and happy. Then we get out, and the Doctor tosses me with a towel. When I'm done drying off, although my clothes are still very wet, I watch the Doctor as he rubs his hair dry. He doesn't bother to smooth it down, and it stays sticking straight up. I giggle.

"Doctor, your hair defies gravity."

"Does it?" He looks in a mirror that's conveniently placed in one of the portholes. "I suppose it does, yeah. Cool!"

Tentatively, I reach out to touch it. It's soft and incredibly fluffy. The Doctor gives me an odd look, and a laugh nervously. "Sorry. I couldn't help it."

"No, no, it's fine. Come on, we should get changed. I'll show you to the wardrobe. There's a changing room connecting to it. I'll just change in my room and we can meet in the library, okay?"

"Gotcha." The Doctor leads me to the wardrobe room, which, just like in the Christmas Invasion, is filled with racks of clothing, with a spiral staircase leading down and a mirror in the center.

Then, after grabbing a full pinstriped suit that's already hanging apart from the rest along with a pair of Converse, socks, and a tie, he leaves the room.

I look around, and eventually find a section that seems to be for women. I search through the clothing until deciding on a pair of comfortable dark gray sweatpants with pockets, of course, and a dark pink shirt. I find a matching gray tight zippered hoodie and finish with a pair of black Converse high tops. Then I make my way towards the library, trying to remember which way to go. After making several wrong turns, I eventually find the mahogany hallways and then the library doors. Relieved, I step inside, and once again admire the beauty of the tall, slightly rounded room.

I find the Doctor in his reading corner, engrossed in the first _Harry Potter _book. I smile at him. "How many times have you read the series?"

"This is my ninth time. They never get old!"

"Clearly!" I grin, and sit beside him in the other armchair. "Have any book recommendations?"

Without saying a word, only shifting his position so that he's sitting cross-legged, he tosses me a book. It's called _Daughter of Smoke and Bone, _by Laini Taylor. I catch it with delight. The cover is of a face covered by a bright blue-feathered ballroom mask, with swirling silver letters. I've heard very good things about this book. (Readers of this fan fiction, this is actually a brilliant book; you should go read it!) I read eagerly, and we sit there for hours before I suddenly feel uncomfortable. I can't place the feeling, and then I realize what it is. I've just been staring at the same page for a few minutes, and in the corner of my eye, I've been trying not to look at the Doctor. He looks so fascinated by the book, and it's beautiful, seeing that almost childlike captivation. I remember the golden, glowing ball of emotion that I'd placed on a satiny cushion just this morning. Then I know what I have to do. Secrets aren't good for _anyone, _and especially not me, what with my horrible lying skills.

"Doctor, I'd like to tell you what I saw in the simulator."

"Go on." He says, relaxed for once, with his eyes still focused on his book while we sit in his corner. "Only if you're comfortable, though."

I take a deep breath. Here goes... "I... I dreamt that... that... well, we were in the air again, over the floating islands on Janar. And instead of just joking around, you... you... you kissed me."

The Doctor looks up from his reading. His eyes are wide. He looks like he's stopped breathing. "Oh... oh." The Doctor looks uncharacteristically flustered, his mouth hanging slightly open and his ears pink. Neither of us know what to say.

"I was... when I woke up, I mean... I didn't know what to think. I hadn't even realized... I mean... I don't... I just don't know, Doctor. Do you forgive me?"

He seems to have regained his speaking skills. "What is there to forgive? You're human... well, not exactly, but the point still stands. You have feelings. It's normal."

"But... what do I... what do I _do_?"

"We'll just have to wait and see. To be honest, I don't know. I really don't know."

"The one subject you aren't a professional in, eh?" I smile slightly.  
"I suppose so, yeah."

The silence is uncomfortable for a few minutes, and then I speak up again. My throat feels tight as I choke out the words.

"Doctor…"

"Yes, Tris?"

"I feel so strange… this is so right but so wrong… I…. I have so many emotions and feelings and they're all opposing each other… I have to ask… is it all right, that I feel like this? So confused? And also… is it all right how I feel… about you?"

The Doctor looks at me, with his huge, sad, understanding eyes. "Yes, Tris. It's fine. It's all fine."

I don't think he realizes how important those words are to me. I feel my eyes getting all blurry and wet, and I wipe them quickly, hoping that he doesn't see.

"Tris, are you crying?"

"No," I say, but my voice cracks and when I bring my hand to my face, it comes back wet. Then the tears start streaming down, nonstop, and I can't prevent myself from shaking with emotion.

The Doctor quickly leaves his chair and picks me up from mine. I let him, and he sets me on my feet and embraces me. He rubs my back comfortingly, and I let out a long, shaky breath.

"Doctor, I don't… I don't… I don't know what to do."

"Shhh, shhh, it's all right, Tris. Everything is going to be fine." To my surprise, the Doctor kisses the top of my head, and then he pushes my head back from his chest for a moment, and tilts my chin upwards to look at him. He trails a hand along my cheeks, wiping away the tears.

"I promise you that we will sort this out, okay Tris? Have you got that?"

I nod my head silently. Then I laugh hoarsely. "I feel like a child, crying, and with you talking to me like that."

"No, not at all. Trust me, I don't look at you like you're a child at all!" The Doctor actually looks taken aback, and I smile at him. "I _am _promising to you, though, that we'll figure this whole thing out."

I smile again. "Thanks, Doctor." Then I yawn. I'm utterly exhausted.

"Oh, you must be tired! Come on, I'll show you to a guest bedroom. I'll make sure it's near mine, okay?"

"Mhm. Thank you." The Doctor takes my hand and we walk down the stairs instead of sliding, and then we go to a different set of corridors, very high up in the TARDIS, and finally reach a dead end with a single wooden door at the end.

"This, Beatrice Nightingale, is the door leading to my personal quarters. It has three bedrooms, including mine. You get your pick of the two guest bedrooms!"

My eyes widen. "Really? You're letting me into _your _quarters?"

"Yep!" He grins. Then he throws the door open and shows me all of the bedrooms. One is incredibly ornate, with swirling patterned wooden walls and a slightly domed ceiling, and a deep golden-canopied bed. The other room is much simpler, with a queen sized white duvet and pillows and a soft blue cover blanket.

I choose the simple room. Then, to my surprise, the Doctor shows me his own room. Just like all the others, it has a connecting private bathroom, but the thing that surprises me is the size of the room. It's very simple, like mine only with a royal red cover, but instead of the room ending at the bed, there is a half wall, and then a sort of work room, cluttered with mechanical tools and a desk and a chemistry tables, and strewn with all sorts of papers and documents, and weirdly enough, money.

"You're quite a mess, Doctor. You should hire a housekeeper!"

He laughs at me. "I wonder how the hiring posters would look. "Housekeeper needed for a time-and-space-ship that's bigger on the inside and probably a huge gigantic mess. Possible chance of death." We both laugh at that, and then the Doctor shows me back to my room.

"Here, you've got your own closet. Ooh, would you look at that! The TARDIS has supplied you with clothing that seems to be your size. Good girl!" I silently thank the sentient ship and look inside of the walk-in closet. There are all sorts of clothes, all my size, and all comfortable-looking. Perfect!

"Thanks, Doctor. I'll be seeing you in the morning… well, when is morning, anyway? Does the TARDIS have a clock system?"

"It kind of goes on it's own schedule, yes. It's about eleven o'clock PM at the moment. When do you usually wake up?"

"Around eight, but I'm feeling particularly worn out, so probably more around 9:30."

"Then meet me at ten in the console room! Sleep well!"

"Thank you, Doctor." I give him a grateful look, and then he grins cheekily and dashes out the door. He's got inexhaustible energy! I, for one, am very tired, so I just slip into a comfortable pair of pajamas and flop onto the bed. I'm asleep in moments.

* * *

**End note:**

**A bit shorter than the last few, sorry. I do have more, but I thought it'd be better to split them into two separate chapters for reasons. :P Reviews pretty please? :3**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Notes;**

**Hello again. How's life? Talk to me! :P Seriously, wouldn't mind some PMs (I almost wrote PMS, and I DEFINITELY don't want that XD). I'm a bit bored at the moment...**

**Anyway. This is a chapter of fairly good length, but it's not my longest. I hope you like it. Not sure if you people are still interested. I'd love some fan fiction suggestions! :) If you want me to add anything or write a new fan fiction, let me know! :)**

* * *

At around two in the morning, I suddenly jolt awake. My heart is pounding furiously. It's pitch black in the room. I feel so afraid, so, so, afraid. I had a nightmare, but all I can remember is screeching and blasts of flames, and a horrible sense of panic and pain and regret. I'm utterly terrified.

I find that I'm shaking as I put on a pair of soft slippers I'd left at the foot of the bed. I feel my way across the room and through the hall, and I hesitantly tap on the Doctor's door, three times.

"Come in."

I open the door. The lights are off, but the Doctor isn't sleeping. He's fiddling with his sonic screwdriver, which lights up the whole room, and what looks like the remains of a toaster. I sigh.

"Doctor?"

"Mhm?" He doesn't look up from his "toaster" and it lets out a spray of orange sparks.

"I know it sounds childish, but… I had a nightmare. I don't remember much, but it had a lot of flames and loud screams and a weird amount of _bad _feelings."

He looks worried. "I was asleep for a few hours, until about five minutes ago, so you didn't wake me, if that's what you were worried about. Are you all right?"

"Yeah… It left me feeling really scared, though. A voice kept on whispering that it was my fault. What it was, though, I have no idea."

"Oh." The Doctor pales, and shoves his toaster off the bed, switching on a light by pointing his screwdriver at the button on the wall. "I hadn't thought about that." He's silent for a long time, and then I suddenly realize what he meant.

"Doctor… you have nightmares at night, about the Time War, don't you; that's why you don't sleep much."

He stares at me in surprise. "How did you know that?"

"I guessed. I know you claim not to need sleep, because of the show and all that, and I know that the War haunts you. I'm sorry."

"No… it's… it's fine, Tris." He looks thoughtful for a moment. "You know, that night on Janar… I actually slept without any bad dreams for the first time in years. I think that you chased them away. Maybe… maybe our link is stronger when we're closer, so our dreams cancel each other out… Tris, would you like to sleep with me tonight?"

I gape at him. He looks so innocent, with his spiky mop of hair. Then he looks alarmed. His ears turn beet red. "OH! No! Tris, I meant _sleep! _As in, close your eyes, dream, and all that…. You know what I meant!" He frantically tries to cover up for his mistake and I laugh at him.

"No, I understand. It just sounded weird, that's all. Would you really not mind, if I did sleep in the same bed as you?"

"Not at all. I actually think it would help. Think of it as an experiment, eh?"

"I suppose." I cautiously walk over to the bed and slip under the covers. The Doctor switches the light off again and I feel the bed move as he gets under the blankets as well.

"Good night, Tris."

"'Night, Doctor."

It's really weird, being in the same bed as the Doctor. It doesn't feel awkward, or romantic, or anything. It just feels relaxing, and comforting, and _good. _I smile as I hear the Doctor drift off to sleep. Then I close my eyes, and I don't have any bad dreams for the entire night.

I wake with the room still dark. However, there is a dim light coming from the back. When I turn my head to face the other end of the room, I am surprised to see a window, covered by cream-colored curtains. The light is seeping from behind them, making them glow golden. I smile. This is why I love the TARDIS!

The action of raising myself halfway from the bed is somehow too much for my tired body to handle, so I flop back down onto the bed. I glance to my right to see that the Doctor is still sleeping. This is a surprise once more. I guess he was right, last night, about us two helping each other sleep. Then I notice something else.

When we went to bed, the Doctor was on the very edge of the bed, facing outwards. Now, he's moved much closer, almost to the middle, and he's facing me. I seriously doubt that this was intentional, but I'm still startled. I'm also in a very strange predicament and have utterly no idea what to do. I don't want to turn away for fear of waking him, but I'm also afraid that he'll wake up to see me staring at him oddly. I decide to just close my eyes and try to relax until he wakes up. It seems like a good enough plan.

Of course, I can't fall back asleep, which is as expected. I look at my watch, somehow managing to lift my arm in the foot of space between the Doctor and myself. It's already ten AM. Apparently, when the Doctor sleeps, he sleeps well!

_What to do, what to do… _Needless to say, I'm feeling extremely conflicted. I don't know whether I should just get out of bed and shower or stay. The part of me that caused the simulator to show me what it did is rocking about nervously on its pillow in my mind, and I steady it with a hand and tell it to shut up. _You can't just activate when I'm in bed with the Doctor, you idiot! This was to help us sleep, not to put us in an unnecessarily awkward situation, which you were about to make it be! _I sigh in frustration. This is bad. I can't really move without waking him, and I can't just wait here uncomfortably. Not that the bed isn't comfortable; it's just our current situation that is making me uneasy.

I decide to just wait it out, against my previous will. I just sort of push the ball of emotion farther back on the shelf and hope for the best.

The Doctor wakes up at around ten thirty in the morning. I realize that I am still looking at his face, but too late – he shifts a bit in the bed and then opens his eyes sleepily. He looks only mildly surprised at our situation.

"Hello," murmurs the Doctor contentedly. Sleep has made him a lot softer, I suppose.

I can barely breathe.

"Hello." _You sound like an idiot! Listen to how your voice cracked!_

"Good morning. What time is it?"

"Um. Ten thirty, I think. You slept in." I don't dare to give away anything else.

"Tris, are you all right?" He looks at me with concern, eyebrows furrowed.

"Yeah, I'm… I'm fine. Just a bit tired, that's all."

The Doctor doesn't look like he believes me, but shrugs slightly and continues. "Sorry. Did I keep you waiting?"

"Not much. It's okay."

"How about we shower in our own bathrooms," I note that the Doctor was very careful with his words in that bit! "And then we get properly dressed and get breakfast?"

"Sounds good." I'm not sure who's going to get up first. We're so close that the slightest movement could either send me off of the bed or towards the Doctor, and neither of those would be good. The Doctor suddenly seems to realize how close we are and how little I'm able to move, and his face turns slightly pink. Then he abruptly rolls over and stands up on the other side. I get out of my end, straighten my shirt, and walk out of the door.

"See you in a bit. Wait in the corridor, yeah?"

"Will do." I wait a moment longer, and we both freeze in place the Doctor looks at me, examining my face. His eyes are filled with an emotion that I can't quite place. Then the moment breaks, we unfreeze, and the door closes behind me. I take in a deep, shaky breath.

_What is happening?_

My feet carry me unfeelingly down the corridor.

_What is HAPPENING?_

I close my eyes, feeling the brass knob of the door to my room.

_Will anything happen?_

I twist the handle, pulling myself heavily into the room.

_Will anything change?_

Then I think for a moment.

_How long has it been since I met the Doctor?_

It was around eleven at night when I first heard the TARDIS.

_Does it matter?_

The trip in Cardiff took about three hours.

_Do I care how long it's been?_

Janar took around eighteen hours. That's already twenty-one.

_Should I care?_

There have been around twenty-four hours on the TARDIS already, starting from when we left Janar. Forty-five hours since I met the Doctor.

_Time is irrelevant. Emotions are impossible to handle._

I groan angrily, leaning against the wall.

_What am I going to do?_

I need to think.

_Do I really feel that way? Like in the simulator?_

I remember.

_Soft lips. Soft smile. Warm eyes. Warm heart._

NO.

_Yes._

I'm just so confused…

_Doesn't matter._

I think back to when I told the Doctor about the simulator dream. Then I recall his words. Little tidbits, little pieces of advice, comforting little words.

_What is there to forgive? You have feelings._

_We'll just have to wait and see. I don't know. _

(A small part of me whispers, "Does that mean that there is a chance?)

_Everything is going to be fine._

_It's fine. It's all fine._

(That same part of me whispers again. "Yes. A chance!")

_I don't look at you like a child at all!_

(I like that one. Reassuring.)

_I promise you that we will sort this out._

**_I promise you that we will sort this out._**

**_I PROMISE YOU THAT WE WILL SORT THIS OUT._**

I sigh and slide down the wall. Arguing with myself is exhausting. There is so much confliction, but I can feel that glowing ball of emotion growing, almost too large for its shelf in my mind. The voice leaks out of it, whispering, soothing.

_He made a promise. He will keep it. Stay calm._

I'm feeling a lot steadier now, but I'm also still clothed in pajamas and my hair is a snarled mess on my head. I need a shower, just like the Doctor suggested.

The bathroom is fairly large, with a round tub and a nice shower as well as a sink and a toilet. There's a skylight letting in rays of sun, so I figure that it's a window into Earth or something like that, like the teleport doors. It makes my day seem a lot better, seeing sunlight like that.

Careful to make sure that I have towels and a change of clothes, I step into the hot shower, delighting in the feeling of steaming water pounding over my body, loosening my muscles and my mind. When I step out of the stall, I feel ten times more relaxed and happier than before.

I get dressed in navy blue jeans, a white and red striped tank top, yesterday's dark gray hoodie, and a new pair of red Converse high tops, all provided by the TARDIS. Then I make my way outside. The Doctor is waiting patiently by dark wood doors leading to the other hallway, in his blue suit today.

I notice that he, too, is wearing red Converse high tops. "Did you take a peek in my wardrobe or something?"

"Hm?"

"We're wearing the same shoes!"

"Oh!" He looks down in surprise. "So we are! Great minds think alike!"

"Even truer in our case!"

He grins and takes my hand as we walk towards where the Doctor says the kitchen is. It's near the console room, just around the corner.

When the Doctor opens the door, I find myself in a medium sized room with wooden floors. It actually has two doors on either side of a table shoved against the wall, and across from our end is a row of counters, with all the necessary kitchen appliances, along with a refrigerator, oven, dishwasher, and a garbage can embedded under the sink.

The Doctor goes straight to the fridge and pulls out a bowl of bananas that look like they'd been going slightly rotten before he'd noticed and stuck them in there. I shake my head, silently laughing.

"You and bananas, Doctor. Let's make you something else for breakfast, okay?"

"Fine. I can't cook too many breakfast dishes, though. Basically only pancakes."

"I'll cook, it's all right. I know a few things from what my dad taught me."

I take out flour and sugar and milk and a bunch of other ingredients, and in around half an hour, we're eating freshly made crepes.

"You like crepes, don't you, Tris? We had them at the fairgrounds, too!"

"Yeah, I suppose so." I smile at him. "Used to have them every Sunday. They're my favorite breakfast."

"I like them, too. I'd say that these are a lot better than the fairground ones!"

"You're just saying that to make me happy!"

"No, I'm serious! The other ones were much too sweet. Yours are better balanced than the others."

"Thanks. I've had better, but thank you anyway." I'm surprised, because I'm not usually much of a cook, and to get a compliment on it that isn't just obligatory is something new.

The Doctor and I finish eating and then head off to the library for a few hours. Then I ask him a question.

"So what are we doing today?"

"Dunno. You choose!"

"Let's visit Captain Jack again! I'd like to actually do something with him that doesn't involve us being in horrible danger."

"I'm kind of a danger magnet, Tris. I doubt we'll end this trip without something bad happening to us!"

"I know. We can at least start off in a fairly normal way, though."

"I suppose so. To Cardiff it is!" The Doctor grins, and we put down our books and run into the control room. He directs me towards various controls, and I smile as I hear the familiar sound of the TARDIS taking off. The Doctor pulls the last lever down with a cranking sound and we're hurled into the air and land on the ground in a giggling heap once more. I push myself off of the Doctor and brush off my jacket, straightening the hood. I give him my hand to pull him up, and then we walk out of the doors.

I look around. We're in a different place than before, in front of a large metal column with water running down it. It's the Hub. I grin. We wait for a couple of minutes, then I speak up.

"Jack, I know you're probably standing in the perception filter by now. Come on out!"

The gray-coated man saunters out from his hiding place with a grin. "Hello again Tris! How long's it been for you?"

"About two days. And you?"

"Three months! Doctor, your timing's a bit off!"

"Sorry about that. Say, what time is it here?" The Doctor squints up at the dark nighttime sky.

"About eight thirty. Why?"

"No, no, just wondering. Tris here wanted to see you, and I didn't know if we should stay here or travel somewhere else. Would you like to go anywhere, Jack?"

Jack smiles. "How about Scotland countryside, current time period but in the morning? Pretty good for a picnic, don't you think?"

"Good idea. What d' you think, Tris?" The Doctor looks at me expectantly.

"Sounds good! Come on, Jack!" I smile at him and beckon. He grins in return and follows me back into the TARDIS.

"I never can get over how great this old girl is. You're a beauty!" Jack looks appraisingly up at the TARDIS time rotor and pats her console.

"Isn't she just?" It's nice to see the two of them actually agree on something for once. The TARDIS hums happily.

"Yeah, definitely," I agree with a nod. _By the way, thanks for all you've done; I'm pretty sure I would've gotten lost on the way to the library yesterday if it weren't for you. You're the one who changed up the corridors a bit, aren't you?_

I sense a sort of amused affirmation from the TARDIS, and smile to myself. I think of the human TARDIS in the episode "The Doctor's Wife" and wonder if that will ever happen.

_The show, Doctor Who… was the future of the show, past season four… was that an alternate future? Something that could actually have happened, but didn't?_

The TARDIS whirs sadly.

_I take that as a yes. Do you know about all that stuff, all of those events? Did you experience them, sort of? Like…. I dunno, can you sense that parallel future because you're made of the Time Vortex and all that?_

She makes a weary little sighing noise, like a power source draining.

_That's another yes, then. Wait. I couldn't do this before – is that because of the Time Lord in me?_

She hums. I sense approval. The answer is yet again "yes."

_Thank you for answering me._

I feel a warm breeze around my shoulders, like a pair of hands wrapping around me. I interpret that as "you're welcome." Then I turn back to the Doctor and Jack, who are heatedly arguing about some scientific explanation of how perception filters work or something. I sigh.

"Please, can we just go to Scotland already and try _not _to argue?"

"Yeah. Sorry." Both the Doctor and Jack look very sheepish, and then the Doctor shifts over to the console to take us to our destination.

There's a bit of wind blowing over the green, rocky hills in the countryside, but the sun is out, and it must be in the seventies or something (Fahrenheit). Pretty warm for Scotland, I suppose.

I notice that we're in an area of land where there isn't a single town, farm, house, road, or any signs of human life for miles around. I smile. Perfect.

"So, Doctor. Got any picnic supplies?"

"Gigantic pantry, remember? Get whatever you want; there's a basket in the tool shed somewhere."

I do as he says and come back ten minutes later with a woven basket filled with French bread and various spreads and toppings.

Jack and the Doctor are sitting on a blanket on the grass. Jack stands.

"Got any knives or plates?"

"Yup!" I pull a few paper plates and plastic knives from the bottom of the basket. "Here, sit down. Let's eat!"

We talk together and laugh for about an hour, and once we're done eating, I set our picnicking supplies back inside of the TARDIS and come back with a football.

I know it's childish, but I can't help myself. I toss the ball over the Doctor's head and into Jack's hands.

"Monkey in the middle!"

"Oi! Why am I the monkey? I'm the only one here who _isn't _an ape!"

"So?" Jack hurls the ball back towards me and I catch it readily. I grin at the Doctor. "If you want to get out of the middle, you'll have to play the game!"

From that point on, it's utter chaos. For a while, Jack and I seem invincible; the Doctor doesn't stand a chance. Then the Doctor makes a flying leap into the air and catches my throw, and I'm the one running around crazily. After we've all been in the middle, crazed tackling begins and we end up totally squashing the football and bruising all of our arms. Then we lie down on the grass and just look at the clouds for a while.

* * *

**End note:**

**Sorry, that's a horrid ending. It's just that the next part is a bit of a turning point and I would have to add like a thousand or so more words (not exaggerating haha) in order to get to the next possible stopping point. So... anyway. I really need review here, preferably detailed ones, because I think my writing is getting worse and worse, and I'm running out of ideas. The reviews would be GREATLY APPRECIATED! :3 Love you all! :)**


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